


Dani Phantom: Life Finds a Way

by Anthiena, DaniPhandom



Category: Danny Phantom
Genre: Adventure, Alternate Universe - Time Travel, F/M, Family, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-05-09
Updated: 2010-05-08
Packaged: 2017-10-17 20:11:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 31,319
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/180759
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Anthiena/pseuds/Anthiena, https://archiveofourown.org/users/DaniPhandom/pseuds/DaniPhandom
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It's Christmas, after the disasteroid incident, and Danielle can't help but feel sorry for her creator... But now, she's given a chance, to redeem him and save her life... but what's really the catch?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For those curious, this fanfiction is "adapted" from a couple forum role-plays that are rather incompatible with canon from their crossover settings, and Anthiena role-played Vlad in them, and has been a great reliable character sounding board for me writing this.

_If there is one thing the history of evolution has taught us it's that life will not be contained. Life breaks free, expands to new territory, and crashes through barriers, painfully, maybe even dangerously... life, uh... finds a way._

Dr. Ian Malcolm

December 24th- The Ghost Zone. The present.

The atmosphere was filled with cheer at the annual Ghost Zone Christmas party, but Dani was just a bit pensive. Danny, and his plus-one, Sam, had already came and left, putting in a token appearance to keep friendly with the ecto crowd, he'd barely had time for a few words with her... And now, someone raised a glass.

"To Masters' exile," said Skulker, "may he never threaten us again."  
This was met with a heavy round of agreement... but it just made Danielle think a bit more. She leaned on a wall while the rest of the party mingled.

"...Now, what's a pretty girl like you doing a wallflower?" came the voice of a playful old man, with twinkling red eyes.  
"...All the couples, and families," she said, "they... well, they're making me think of someone."  
"Ah," the man replied, "your creator."  
"Yeah," she said, "I know Dad wasn't a good... well, much of anything, other than a manipulator... but he's all alone. Nobody deserves to be alone."

The old man chuckled- this was almost precisely in his own job description, not that he was going to mention it.

"...What would you say," the old man said, looking a bit younger, "if I were to say that he had the capacity for change... from the right person, at the right time?"  
"...I'd ask if you knew what he's done, honestly," she said.

"Ah, but _tense_ is such an important thing..." he noted, continuing, "A very wise mortal once noted that throughout life, a man's course will foreshadow certain ends, to which, if persevered in, they must lead, but if the course is departed from, the ends will change."  
"...what're you getting at?" she asked him.

"I can offer you," he said, "a chance... A chance to not only change his life, but to remake your own..."

"...and what's the catch?" Dani asked, "there's always a catch."  
"You will have to stabilize the time loop created," he said, "or relive the experience, repeatedly. Such is the price of meddling in the timestream..."  
"...Time travel? Who are you?" she asked, realizing what he was proposing.

"...I am Clockwork," he said, "Master of Time... I know everything, Danielle. Everything that is, was, will be, and might be."  
"...Wow. So, how's this all going to work?"  
"...Come with me."

Rather unnoticed, the two slipped away from the party, across the Ghost Zone. He led her into an odd abode, a castle of sorts, with a clock motif... He led her into his inner sanctum, where there was a portal, and a number of hooks... He lifted a gold medallion from the hooks. In its center, a black and blue emblematic "CW".

"This," he said, "is important. It will be all that holds you to the time- You are _never_ to remove it, until and unless you want to return to your proper time-frame, here."

He placed it around her neck. It had a heft rather surprising to her.

"..I understand... When are you sending me?" she asked.

"I will send you to him," he said, "six months before your birth... Ample time for you to speak with him, I think."  
The image of the portal turned to Vlad's mansion in the Rockies.

"I wish you luck, Danielle..."

She approached it, took a breath, and went through.

"You will need it..."


	2. Chapter 2

August 8- The Middle of the Rockies. Six Months Ago. Afternoon.

Dani looked down the mansion grounds to the place she had called home. This was Vlad's "getaway", very few people knew of it, so she knew she wouldn't be expected. She took a breath, and approached the door. She rang the bell.

Meanwhile...

"Unexpected visitor at the door, dearheart," said a voice in the lab.

Vlad looked up from the leg of the Ecto-skeleton he was tuning up to his computer screen.

"Onscreen, dear," he said.

He looked at Dani, brushing aside an odd feeling of familiarity to analyze the girl.

"Hmm. Not a threat, obviously... Probably out hiking and got separated from the group," he surmised. He reverted to human form.

"Time to play the gracious host," he said to himself, slightly irritated, leaving and locking the lab. He opened the front door.

"Hello, there. Are you lost?" he asked.

"Eh," Dani said, "you could say that."  
"...only could?" he said, raising a brow.

"...It's a long story," she said, "mind if I tell it inside?"

"...Oh, of course," he said, "where _are_ my manners?"

She could tell he wasn't entirely sincere, but, the gesture was appreciated... besides, it'd be better for unloading her information. He led her to the den, where she took a seat on a couch, and he in an armchair.

"So, child, where are your mother and father? Nearby?" His eyes narrowed at her cooly.

She took a breath.

"I have no mother," she said, "but my father... I'm staring in the face. Vlad... My name is Danielle... and I'm your... daughter, I guess is the best word."

He went cold. "What in the world are you talking about? Is this some kind of joke? Or ploy for money?" He frowned thoughtfully, it turning into a cool scowl.  
However... black hair... blue eyes... there was a resemblance, to how he looked... before the accident.

She smiled.

"I'm the ultimate result of your attempts to clone Danny."

She paused, letting it sink in to her father.

He went pale and scowled deeper. "You lie! I have done no such thing!" He stood, his hands clenched into fists. "Explain yourself, NOW."

"You were right, I am a traveler... through _time_. I'm from your future," she explained, "and... it's not a good one, I'm afraid..."

"I don't believe you, now either prove it or prepare for the consequences of lying to me." His face was one of fury.

"...Fine. I've got two forms of tangible proof." She handed over a worn photograph... It was the two of them. Her "birthday", she was fresh out of the tube.

"There's one. Do you need more evidence?"

He grasped it, his face a cool frown. "This could be fake," He spat dryly.

"Okay then."

She put her arms to her side, and concentrated, going ghost... The only part of her unaffected entirely by the transformation, the medallion around her neck...

"Believe me now?"

His face went from scowling disbelief to just shocked disbelief. "This... this shouldn't be possible."

"Thank Clockwork for it," she replied, "he sent me back... to give you a chance. A chance to change your future... and mine."

His expression changed to a more neutral one as he studied the picture. The wheels were turning, in spite of his calm, cool demeanor.

"As you can see, I'm not a _perfect_ clone."

He could sense the utter disgust on the word perfect.

"Your obsession with _him_ was your undoing," she continued, "you saw me as a _tool_ to make a 'perfect clone', and I turned on you- I believe your exact words were 'You exist to serve me.'"  
Believe nothing. She could still feel the chill those words had sent up her spine...  
"Things... only went downhill for you, after that. Last I heard of you, you were abandoned in space after blackmailing the planet."  
He looked unsurprised. "My dear, if I even went through with that... last ditch plan, I must have had lost my sanity." He commented almost flippantly.

"Indeed," she said, "you're not that person yet. You have the power to _change_ that destiny- the future is not carved in stone, and there is no fate but what we make. _If_ , when you create me... you settle for _me_. Raise me as your _daughter_ rather than as a _tool_. Be loved by someone on _their_ terms, rather than yours. Our lives can only improve."

"What made me do that...?" He shook his head.

"Why don't we come to my lab then. I can test your genetic code and find out what I have here." He commented flatly.  
"Sounds good to me... Though do you mind if I drop from ghost mode? I'm a little... unstable. And we're not sure if we actually fixed that or just prolonged the onset of the symptoms..."

He stopped. "The problem of the midmorph DNA was never solved? I surely must have been insane... but you are one of the prototypes, obviously." He commented a bit callously.

She sighed at the term prototype, but followed.

"Yeah... You were going to, but you kind of picked the moment just short of it to turn me completely against you."

She smirked a bit.  
He placed the palm of his right hand to his forehead in a smooth gesture. "My temper, most likely had a hand in that..." He commented, exasperated.

"Yeah. You were rather exasperated I wasn't willing to blindly do something that would likely have killed me for you."

He could say nothing to that.

"Certainly, in my right state of mind, I can think of far better means to gain the end of a stable clone, male or female." He commented, his voice purely clinical.

"Perhaps..." she began to doubt herself here, "...but you don't see it. Danny's the catalyst. Your obsession with him and his mother is what caused the slide."

There had to be more to it then that. Doubt raced through his mind. Something else. Maybe something he hadn't been counting on...

...She gave him a concerned look. "Dad... you have to let go. If you _ever_ want to be happy... you have to accept it."

"This... this is a bit much for me, if you can excuse me." He stated, his voice strained. "I am not even sure I can believe my own eyes... and the moment I don't, well..."

"...Dad... I know this is hard for you. I... Believe me, I know what all this means for you... But... _please_. You _have_ to trust me."

"For now... I will keep an eye on you. You are obviously... very much a child." He didn't elaborate.

"Hey, I'm not that bad. I managed to elude you and the GIW for months on end, _without_ using my powers unless neccessary."

"A resourceful one, eh?" He raised an eyebrow. "Intriguing."

She chuckled. "I got it from my father." She smirked.

He smiled to himself. "I'll need to get something transferred to Wisconsin... I'll be finished with it as soon as Skulker brings me what I need," He commented.

She nodded. "Sounds like a plan... I will be stuck here anyways..."

"Yes... indeed." He sounded distracted.

" This all is a loop, of sorts," she explained, "I have to make sure I still come back to this place, at the right time of my life. Otherwise, it's all for nothing- I never come back, you never change."

"Hm. Curious... but one question dear girl; if I was so... ungracious... why try changing things? Why bother with one such as myself? Tell me _that_."

"Because we were both alone, and you were my father... My time on the run taught me better than anyone that _nobody_ deserves to be alone... But I couldn't help you then... If you'd shown your face anywhere you'd be shot on sight."

He was stunned.

"What in the world did I _do_?" He yelped, but then hesitated. "Nevermind. I do not want to know."

"You already know. You blackmailed the entire planet."

"What possessed me to do such a thing... nevermind that..." He cut himself off.

"If you say so," she said, "and... no matter how I may come off, it's nice to see you on good terms again."

He tilted his head. He knew a few things he might do... if not for a sense of forethought. He had guidelines he lived by, if not by the law of the land then his own.

That was the way Vlad Masters was, and he could imagine a few things... but it would have to be utterly serious. Something he couldn't get past. He would have to be mad. And mad, he indeed was.

"So, what's the game plan, Dad?" she said, smirking.

"We will test you in Wisconsin. My lab here..." Was too sensitive material. "...is too explosive."

"...Okay, then," she said, "moving it is. If we leave now, we can be there after nightfall. Or should we wait?"

He thought a moment. "We can be there tonight if you wish..." he commented.

"...I'm fine with either," she said, "though I'm more used to here... You raised me here, mostly."

He nodded.

"Yes... I have it set up for children..." He commented. "Or rather teenagers."

"All really depends on how important you think it is we get my stability under control... It hasn't acted up recently outside of ghost mode."

He paused. "It can wait twenty-four hours, then." He commented.

She smiled. "So, in the meantime, we can try and figure out how we get my future self to come back and do all this."

He nodded. "Of course."

"...That's what I don't know," she admitted, "I mean, I could write this down later, and give it to you to give to me. But... I don't know... I'd... I'd have to be what I hated you for being, a total sham, to deliver all this..."  
He said nothing, but raised an eyebrow.

"...You played the part perfectly," she explained, "you made me think you cared. Until I heard something I shouldn't have."

He said nothing, only kept the same calm mask. He sighed through his nose, his mouth a thin line.

"...Sorry. I don't like thinking about it either..."

He frowned. "You must know something... something about me none other knows... besides the main thing." He shrugged.

"...You played guitar when you were a teenager."

He was stunned. "I haven't told anyone publicly about that..."

"Not yet," she said, "you told... rather, would've told... me... I think would've is correct tense..."

He looked away and shook his head, overwhelmed.

"I'm actually rather curious what'll happen to me as my own specific history is changed," she mused, "but that's not a matter for now..."

"Indeed not... I am overwhelmed by all this."

he chuckled. "Maybe we should call it a day, then. Or do something mindless to take you off it for a bit."

Dani nodded. "...I'll... be in my room, if it's actually a bedroom at this point."

"There are a number of bedrooms... it's actually a very good chance that it is." He stated.

She nodded, and headed off to her room, to think... and maybe catch a few winks. It had been night when she left... She lay on the bed, staring at the ceiling and thinking...

"You actually _believed_ him?"

She turned her head- suddenly, from nowhere, there Danny was, medallion around his neck... and he had her father unconscious.

"I thought you were smarter than that. He's fooled you once, Danielle. Fool you twice, shame on _you_."

"He's changed, Danny."

"Has he? Is that why he thought about still cloning me?"

"It's not like that!" she spat, "he's not like that anymore. He's _not_ obsessed."

"Maybe he's not. Maybe he is. Be on your guard. You know very well he's a world class actor. God knows you thought he was a good father, until me."

"You shattered it then. And now you're trying to do it now. Maybe you're not the one who cares, Danny."

"Oh? Maybe I should just put him out of _your_ misery now."

Elsewhere...

"...Ms. Futureshock appears to be in some distress, sweetie."

"Indeed...? Maybe it's just a bad dream. I don't know if I truly believe her or not... but I better check on her" Vlad had everything loaded up, so he floated through the house until he came to Dani's chosen room.  
Dani tossed on the bed. "...Danny... no... not... this... now..."  
He stood. What in the world was she dreaming about? He was utterly confused. What was she going on about...? Why did she say Danny's name with fear? A dozen similar questions of _why_ went through his mind.

Dani jolted upright.

" _DADDY!_ "

She breathed deeply. Slowly, she became aware of her surroundings.

"I'm here," he spoke softly from the shadows, stepping forward in ghost mode.

"...I... I'm sorry if I had you worried... It was... just a nightmare..."

"What on Earth of?" He looked bewildered, his eyes... different somehow from before.

"...Danny had come back... He called me a fool for thinking you could be saved... and he was going to kill you."

Vlad was astounded and then he began to laugh. His laughs became guffaws. "Danielle, that is impossible. Just... that is just _rich_!"

"...I... I know..." she said sheepishly, "it... it was just a silly nightmare..."

He smiled at her and for a moment, it seemed like before she'd gone to Amity. His amusement transformed into something else, undefinable. He smiled almost tenderly and mussed her hair. "Go back to sleep, girl."

She smiled back up at him.

"...Good night, daddy..."

His smile became sheepish, something rare for him.

"Good night, Danielle."

She drifted off, into a more peaceful sleep... though her father would be too far into his own thoughts to sleep at all...


	3. Dani Phantom: Life Finds a Way Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dani Phantom: Life Finds A Way

Dani Phantom: Life Finds A Way

by Futuramakid and Anthiena

DISCLAIMER: We own nothing.

August 9- The Middle of the Rockies. Morning.

Vlad sat in the lab.

"Probability of success of these blueprints?" he asked.

"100%, barring human error in operation, dear."  
"Good, good... Now..." He looked to the clock... 7:00 already... "Now... we're going to have to perform the mobile dock with my laptop for your travel... You're far too large to send on current internet bandwidths..."

The hologram he spoke with, a spitting image of Madeline Fenton, fidgeted, looking nervous, drawing a hand up the other arm, to elbow height... One would almost think she was more than refracted light and data.

"...is something... wrong?" he asked, bemused.

"...I'll... I'll be blind. Blind, and deaf... utterly without my senses."  
… He blinked a bit in astonishment. Apparently the random code he'd noted building up in her program had a point, but one he had not considered... He contemplated for a moment removing it, but it was harmless enough for now.

"...Maddie, it's only temporary..."

"...I don't want to be in the dark..."

He sighed, before lightly smiling.

"...Blind, I cannot help, without looking conspicuous... but I could connect a small microphone... Speak to you discreetly."

"...Okay," she said uneasily.

He plugged a small, slimline microphone into the laptop, and connected it to his lab computer.

"Commence mobile docking sequence," he said.

She froze, her eyes looking more vacant, more an automaton...

"Initializing... Transferring data..."

She paused and looked at him, her eyes regaining soul.

"...what are you doing?" he asked.

"Taking a good look, to last me the trip."

Her gaze went blank again.

"Shutting down and transferring interface systems..."

She faded from view, becoming one more of a number of interesting conundrums piling up in his life...

He unplugged the laptop, sliding in a small microphone.

"Are you comfortable?" he asked as a test.  
"Yes. Thank you," she replied.

He left the lab, and sat the laptop down on a table in his main hall.

"I'm going to go wake... my _daughter..._ up," he said, "we'll be down shortly."  
The words felt unfamiliar in his head, but it seemed fitting somehow. He started upstairs, to the room Dani had chosen.

She was fast asleep. He smiled, and shook her gently.

"Danielle? It's time to get up," he said, "since my jet crashed and I've yet to replace it, we have to be on schedule..."

Dani roused a bit. She yawned.  
"Good morning, Daddy..."

She sat up in her bed, and realized something. She looked a bit serious.

"...Daddy... my memories are... fading," she said.

"...You can tell me about it on the way to the airport and the flight," he assured her, "at the moment, we need to get some breakfast in you before we leave."

She grinned up at him.

"Breakfast... sounds nice," she admitted. She got up, and he led her downstairs.

"Hello?" Maddie-the-laptop asked, hearing the footsteps, "Sweetheart? Is that you?"

Vlad smiled a bit.

"Yes, it's just Danielle and I," he replied, picking up the laptop.

"...Your _laptop_ talks like Danny's mom too now?" Dani asked incredulously.

"...That would be my lab systems, docked onto my laptop. However, my laptop lacks holographic emitters," Vlad explained.

"...So it just talks," Dani concluded.

"She," Maddie-the-laptop corrected, "I am not an it, I am self-aware, I think therefore I am."

Dani raised a brow.

"Apparently I'm not the only life you've made, then," she said grinning slyly.

Vlad put aside the contemplations on that comment for a moment, leading into the kitchen and sitting down Maddie-the-laptop.

He took out a pan, and put a few eggs on to fry while he put some bread in the toaster.

"Of course, of course." He demurred.

"Well, you know how I slept last night... how did you sleep?" Dani asked.

He shrugged. "Hardly at all."

"...Something bothered you, or just a night owl?"

"Night owl, I suppose. I have been since college."

"Huh. Never knew that before," she realized, before continuing, "...though it could be what I realized this morning... When I got up, my memory seemed... fuzzy. Like I was losing details."

"...Perhaps a side-effect of the timeline changing," Maddie-the-laptop interjected.

He nodded. "We can focus on that when we get to Wisconsin. We can hope that it isn't too late by this afternoon..."

"It's slow, I think," Dani said, "I still remember things that happened, how they happened, the important things... It's the in between that's getting blurry at the moment..."

He sighed. "We'll need to work fast... what I need is in my underground lab at home."

"Indeed," Maddie-the-laptop replied, "but provided no delays, we should be fine, hopefully."

Hopefully. An oddly uncertain word for an AI.

Vlad noted the wording, somewhat startled and sighed. He slid the eggs and bread onto a plate, and handed it to Danielle. They were running just a tad behind schedule, so he was going to simply grab something for himself at the airport.

"...what's wrong?" Mads asked, "most estimates are favorable..."

"Just... this is still a bit much." He sighed. "A daughter..."

Dani looked up from her eggs, smiling a bit sheepishly. "Hey, you're the one who's been trying to get a family. So I'm not the one you were reaching for. Life's odd like that."

"The hope and the reality are two very different things, my dear." He stated simply.

"...I know what you mean, there," she said, "it's all still a little surreal to me to even be here. I mean... here, with you, and... you being genuine."

"...what makes you think I am now?" he asked.

"...Dad... I know you. When I learned you were faking... I figured out your 'tells'. The signs you were lying, or hiding the truth."

He sighed. "There must be something more... something you aren't aware of... I was driven to cloning... it was a last ditch effort.."

"...I'm sorry, Dad. I really am. I... admit I don't know much about what happened before my birth, and what I do know is either from you or Danny, so biased one way or another... But you're never going to win over Danny. It's just... not meant to be."

He sighed, looking at her, his expression unreadable. Was it sadness? Regret? Disappointment? With Vlad, it was impossible to tell. Yet he smiled through the sadness. Perhaps it wasn't disappointment.

She couldn't quite read him, but she leaned forward, hugged him, smiling.

"But you do have me."

"Yes... yes I do." He was thoughtful as he embraced her gently, as if he had a hundred times before. "Dani... I will see what I can do."

"Thank you." She smiled at him, the way she used to, before it all went south.

"...Sorry to break the moment," Maddie-the-Laptop interjected, "But you have approximately five minutes to be out the door, if you want to be on time."

"Well, let's go then!" He smiled warmly, leading her out, picking up the laptop and leading the girl to the Bentley.

Within the hour...

Dani and Vlad walked through the terminal... They were running a touch late. As such, neither one of them noticed, when a tourist they had passed drew his camera phone and shot... They simply continued along their way with their carry-on, Maddie-the-laptop, onto the plane, with little incident, outside of the prior incident-to-come...

"So, you want the aisle, or the window seat?"

It was odd to her, doing such a mundane thing as plane travel... But necessary. After all, someone would notice if Vlad Masters was to get from one coast to another without so much as a car rental.

"Hmph, that security took long enough. One would suppose that a private affair would be free of such petty annoyances..." Vlad complain, his face a pouting scowl. "Aisle. I get enough of a view on ordinary days."

She took a seat, leaning back a bit in it.

"...Heh. May have had something to do with my..." she cleared her throat and dropped her voice, "existence."

She didn't, after all, legally exist.

"It... isn't... Danielle, you are, as any other twelve year old child. Did you think that paperwork was not considered in my venture? I am now to change the paperwork, but the paperwork is already waiting for you." He pointed out. "It is harder, but still... easy, in this day and age."

He knew what she had meant.

She nodded.

"Good thing we've been unseen so far..." she smirked a bit, "who knows what people would say about you if we'd been caught on camera."

"The usual rumor mill. A daughter. A sick love affair. Everything but the truth. It is hilarious..." He smirked in amusement. "They forget the Sherlock Rule."

"Heh. Daughter's not exactly too far out there from what I am, but.. ten bucks says someone claims to be the mother."

"Hmph. Any but Madelyn Fenton would turn out negative in a biological test. Fool women forget simple genomics." He dismissed somewhat callously.

"So... long term, what's your take on all this?" she asked, a degree of curiosity in her voice.

He hesitated.

"Ah. Of course. That... is hard to say. When your... existence comes out-and it will-I will likely have to deal firstly with Daniel... and his friends. After that... school. And whatever may outside of training, certainly."

"...I think I can help with Danny... I've... got a good grip on how he thinks."

She grinned a bit.

He smiled almost bitterly, a wan, cautious thing, but honest. "Be that as you may... you are still far and away younger than you appear."

"Heh. I guess I am. In more ways than one, considering."

He chuckled. "Such a charming girl you are..."

She blushed just a tinge... and smiled. She still wasn't quite used to hearing that sort of positive thing from him.

"Thanks..."

"...dad," she whispered.

He smiled in simple welcome. His future was just changed immensely by just the visitation of a time traveler.

"Beg pardon, Danielle?"

He wouldn't know by how much or possibly appreciate.

She shook her head.

"Nothing... Nothing."

She let one of her arms find its way around him. She was pleased- already a good deal of her work was done... but it was important she not lose grasp of her work, lest her mind muddle further into the meddled timeline.

Vlad made a small sound of good-natured dubiousness, but did not press her, not at that conjecture. He still had a glut of questions, so much to be found out... how had his future gone to such ruin? He wore his troubling thoughts, but looked away. He could not, would not think of the alternative, but forewarned was forearmed.

"...something wrong?"

"Nothing worth speaking of. Sufficient to the day is the evil thereof." He quoted facetiously.

She leaned into him.

"I'm gonna rest my eyes a bit..."

She closed her eyes, and thought back, back to her past, trying to go over every detail to keep it fresh in her mind...

Vlad watched her unobtrusively, curious. She looked so much like Daniel, yet... not. Her mannerisms were at times like Vlad, at times Daniel. He doubted that she was aware of it. He opened the laptop.

Someone had been patiently listening, the voices all she had to help her over a good bit of anxiety. "Hello, sweetheart... I've been keeping occupied as I can, but I'm afraid I did eavesdrop just a bit..." Had she had an image, she would have looked a tad sheepish.

"Perfectly alright." He dismissed her apology. "What is your analysis of all this?" He asked, curious as to what she would say.

"Well. It's something I wouldn't believe if I hadn't seen it on the whole, but... I believe this may be beneficial to all of us."

"Hm. How so?" He asked rather casually.

"Beyond her obvious reasons for being here... I think fatherhood suits you. And... she will provide you companionship of a more... tangible, human kind."

He sighed. There was a sort of existential loneliness to being _only_ , one he had realized with the revelation of Daniel. Vlad scowled a bit at that... _He_ knew what was best for the boy and the constant rejections were beginning to grate. There was just so much he could take, not to mention the annoyance of Maddie's rejections. Surely, love and a family were good things to want. Things to kill for. _Yet they still rejected him_

Maddie-the-Laptop listened to the silence, detecting only the sigh...

"Come now, dear, is something bothering you?"

"Ah, nothing that will not be soon remedied, I can assure you." His voice held the dark promise of violence, yet his tone went to jovial. "Enough about _that_ , we shall speak of other things. This time travel is certainly a momentous opportunity."

"Indeed... I personally am surprised anyone involved enough would let the past be touched. Even with a purpose or non-intervention, well, there's so much butterfly effect to be had. A simple attempt to change one decision... could end up changing a great number further down the line."

Vlad nodded. "Even her mere presence changed things..."

Such went the laws of nature.

He likely understood it better than the girl beside him.

"Indeed," she replied, "and... for things to have turned enough for one as... distanced from you as her side of the story indicates to feel mercy for you... things must have gone far south indeed. I... if it's not presumptuous, I'd advise considering a hiatus and analysis on any... current activity and contingency plans."

"Absolutely agreed." He made a face. Many deals and plans, out the window. "It is worth for the well being of my personhood in the most dire outcome."

He didn't fear death nor could he conceive of his exile in that other timeline... ...he was rather concerned that he would be imprisoned and his dignities stripped from him as a citizen; no judge, no way out.

"Very well, I'll do what I can next time we're on the grid... And..." she faltered a moment, as if she didn't know whether she should say what she was about to say. She continued anyways. "I don't presume to know much on emotion... but if she's telling the truth... I would assume she cares very much for you. More than she is willing to let on."

He nodded. "I... am very good at spotting liars. She is far too innocent. Ironic in that _I_ raised her, apparently." He laughed dryly.

"Also," she noted, "the girl has mentioned her memories altering themselves, changing with this timeline. I have... a theoretical solution. It would require a deal of engineering to ensure... her safety in the process. But it could work."

He leaned his head back. "Theory... please, do tell." He sounded a little tired, massaging his temples.

"We have the technology to tap into her nervous system, in the Ecto-skeleton. If we can reverse engineer it... theoretically, we could reverse the flow. Rather than the nervous system interfacing with the computers... it could be used to copy her patterns. Save them. With these saved patterns... We could implant them later. Stabilize the time loop. Keep her here... while raising her current-timeframe self. Then when the current-timeframe version of her is the right age... we transpose her patterns on her, and send her back where she arrived."

He nodded. "Stabilizing her through a stable time loop..."

"Yes. But it would take time... and making sure such a link would be safe. Any errors could prove... possibly irreparable."

He sighed. "Such delicate matters... but what a challenge... I shall relish it."

"...If my calculations are right... soon you'll need to turn me off for the landing. I... suppose we shall continue this later." True enough, after she'd spoken, the announcement to deactivate electronic devices was given. Dani stirred.

"...Did I just sleep most of the way?" She hadn't intended to actually sleep, just to concentrate...

She yawned.

"I hope you didn't get too bored," she said, grinning just a bit.

He smiled and made a small sound in his throat. "My dear girl, I have been flying for a very long time. I find ways to pass the time."

She chuckled, "fair enough. So, back home... I presume you have a car scheduled."

He nodded. "Of course I do. If you know me, you know this already." He smirked.

She shrugged. "Just making small talk..."

The plane came to a stop, landed.

He chuckled. "You do it well, I am... used to older company, dear. _Where_ are my manners?"

"I dunno. Maybe at the baggage claim in San Jose." She wryly grinned.

He laughed. "Clever girl."

"I try," she replied, standing and waiting for some of the slower crowd to filter from the plane, "And... is the car a place we can..." she lowered her voice just a bit, "talk more freely? I mean... Is the driver...?"

He shrugged.

"The back of the car is soundproofed. It is expensive, but nobody ever argues with five zeroes or more."

"...Good. I... have a few things to air."

He nodded. "You would be surprised how many ghosts actually walk the streets..." He noted. "Or how many dishonest people."

"...I've... done the streets before. Not so much ghosts or dishonest people so much as people in bad situations, and the people who put 'em there."

Now the crowd had thinned, she started to the front of the plane.

He followed behind her, calm and collected, leading her though the airport and then to the front. _Masters_ read a card held by a capable-looking man. Vlad shook the driver's hand and did not introduce Dani. He told the driver a destination.

"Get in, please, sir and miss." Said the driver.

She nodded, and climbed in the back. She tried to compose herself a moment, putting together what she needed to say...

""...Da- ...er, Vlad... I..." She was lacking in words.

"...It's fading. The more I get used to this place, the more things are fading, the memories less distinct... I... apologize if I end up seeming on edge or distant."

"It's alright, try your best."

She nodded... "I will, I just... I wanted you to know if I did, I don't mean to... You don't know how much I'd like to just lean back and go with this..."

He nodded, listening very closely.

"...Things with you back in the future were... well, rocky would be generous. To be this... close, this frank with you... It's... I can't see it ever happening then."

He made no sign of opinion yet. "Go on, Danielle."

"I..." she grasped for words, trying to say what happened without hurting him, "...I found out too much. I heard things not meant for me. That you thought of me as just a mistake. I... hated you. But... I didn't _want_ to hate you. And... well... where you ended up was a last straw. _Nobody_ deserved what you got."

"What... _what_ happened to me?" He asked softly.

"You... you were abandoned in space... utterly alone and lost... far more than I'd ever been. I..."

Her voice trembled.

"I'd wished on you what you'd put on me before, but that... that was too much..."

A dim sense of denial touched him and he simply... nodded numbly.

She let herself hug him... and let it out. Tears streaked her face...

"...and that's why I'm here," she finished, drawing composure, "You and I... have no place to go but up... if things change now."

He nodded, still disbelieving even if his mind snidely told him it was true. His voice was incredibly even when he spoke again.

"It is alright now. It never happened."

"I... I know that. But... I can't accept it. Not now. I... I have to hold onto it. If I slip too far... I won't be able to keep the change in place. Clockwork said I need to make sure I still come back when the time's right..."

He nodded, even as the wheels in his mind were turning.

"If I don't... nothing sticks. I never come back, then you never change, and none of this happens."

The silt in his mind cleared. If there was something Vlad Masters lacked, it certainly was not self-preservation.

"I will not allow that."

It was not just a promise.

"...why do I get the idea you already have an idea there?" she asked, wiping an eye.

"Why do you suppose that even when Daniel figures things out, I gain what I had seeking for anyway?" He smirked.

"I don't know. But... that may have something to do with how you didn't, in my first experience. And my second, come to think of it."

His smirk faded at that. "Hmm. I will need more information... so much more... yet I do appreciate what you have shared already... your candor is... _refreshing_ \- and extremely useful."

""Well, both times... You had an unpredicted factor, the first being me finding out what you really thought, and the second being Danny convincing Valerie to work _with_ him. And both times... you were pretty thoroughly beaten. You didn't get Danny's mid-morph DNA... and you _technically_ did get me melted down to ectoplasm, but I got better."

His face went slack.

"Yeah, thank goodness for Jack Fenton there... Failed ghost-poison actually reconstituted me. It's... not been long enough to see if it actually _fixed_ the problems I was having at the time or is just a band-aid fix, though."

He nodded. "I can test that."

"Good. Better than finding out by just waiting to start melting again..." She shuddered.

"Anyways... Yeah." she sighed. It was a good load of pressure off her chest. She felt good about it.

The manor was now in view, only a couple minutes away.

He nodded, his mind very busy in considering what he had heard.

"No more, Danielle..." He placed a warm hand on her shoulder and kissed her cheek, knowing what it would probably mean to her.

She smiled at him. "...thank you, so much... Dad."

He smiled at her tiredly. "Almost there, Danielle. We will stay a day or so and then return."

She nodded. "Okay. Time enough to hopefully resolve at least some of my situation, and figure out how we're going to explain me."

The car stopped, they were at the manor.

Vlad made tracks to his home, visibly relaxing once inside.

"First mainframe. Then coffee. And perhaps something of a snack." He spoke aloud.

"Mainfr- ah, right. Maddie. ...you know she could probably use her own name," Dani mused.

"Mainframe is a computer. Maddie is software AI. Rather different, yes?" He smiled.

"Yeah, I know, I connected the dots. She needs breathing room. She could also probably use a name that doesn't belong to someone else."

He shrugs. "Mad-OS. Happy?" He transformed effortlessly. "Perhaps we should take the shortcut?"

"Of course." She phased to the lab, she didn't quite know this place as well as Colorado, but she still knew it enough.

He led her, connecting the laptop to the many computers. The looked huge, but really, it was because of how much cooling the boards needed. Subzero temperatures were hard to sustain thus far. "Connection made. Activate start up transfer protocols."

"Activating transfer, dear..."

Her voice was mostly emotionless at the moment, her intellect mostly engaged in transferring herself.

"System calibration procedures commencing..."

Her holographic body slowly rezzed and began what looked mildly like some animation tech demo reel, moving at most articulations it had.

"...It's good to be back out," she said, "and back connected..."

In the background, she ran the usual red flag searches...

"...I believe there's something you need to see."

The screen filled, many articles, one photo. The Drudge Report, , Fox Business, MSNBC, even the Midnight Star... Someone had caught a photograph of he and Dani, and it had spread like wildfire. Headlines suggestions ranged from the result of an affair to... aliens.

"Vlad made a noise of annoyance. "I thought I had more _time_... but as I thought, none touch on the truth." He dismissed.

Dani chuckled at the tabloid's suggestion.

"You got that right," she said.

Mad-OS, however, was in thought... Her banks pored over rejected prototypes, the dead end products that never got made... Hmm. It could work.

"Explain. Quickly, while I think of what I am going to tell my lawyer."

"We have... a prototype. A sensitive, precise design for a humanoid automaton for multiple uses, that hit a dead end because of impractically high price for consumers... Combine that with a liberal use of an experimental process to clone artificial flesh to cover prosthetics... And I could use it. I could, publically, be her mother."

He was silent only a moment. "A proper back up story will be needed, but..." He sighed. "Do it, no expense spared. Pluripotent cells are very easy today."

Mad-OS nodded. "Internal orders to transfer the prototype for re-evaluation are being issued. As for the flesh... I will need an initial donor, for the origin cells."

She smiled. "This should be rather... interesting, for all of us."

He thought. An identical Maddie-twin would not do... "Indeed. Search ovum donations at your leisure and discretion for two compatibles." Science had, ironically proven that homunculi were possible... but with women's ovum, not any essence of man.

She nodded. "Understood. The... materials... will arrive by tomorrow..."

"Good..." Although goodness knew that Vlad had had moments of lonely weakness, he did not want to appear weak to Maddie, though how it might disappoint her eluded him.

"Hopefully it will enable me to better fulfill my primary function as well... your companionship."

Mad-OS smirked, and Dani raised a brow at Vlad.

"...I believe..." He cleared his throat uncomfortably; "...it is time to contact that _fine lawyer_ of mine." His face seemed to darken its shade of blue.

"Of course. We can have girl talk while you do that," Dani shot wryly.

Vlad fairly fled the scene ignobly, an odd look on his face.

"...girl talk?" Mad-OS replied back to Dani.

"... _companionship_? Are you serious?" she said.

"...Did I look as if I wasn't? Mad-OS queried back sincerely.

"...Sarcasm. I'm surprised."

"...I was asking, dear... I... am working on getting emotional appearances right."

"...oh. Yeah, you did fine," Dani answered, rather amused, "but... let me get this all straight. You've got... the _hots_... for Vlad?"

Mad-OS _blushed_.

"I... I mean, my _function_ is companionship, but I'm not-"

"...You do. You _totally_ do. You're acting like _that_ , you do."

"...Well, then. What if I do?"

"...I dunno, _Mom,_ " she said playfully, " _you're_ the adult here, you tell me."

"...I... well... I wait and see how he reacts and... adjust myself accordingly."

"...adjust yourself? That's so... doormat. But I guess it makes sense, he did make you... Well. My best advice... Is ignore the programming, and adjust yourself to what _feels_ right."

"...I'll take it under advisory," Mad-OS replied, "and that _was_ sarcasm. I... can't self-modify quite to that degree."

"Well, then. Good luck."

"Indeed. Perhaps we can _be_ what he wanted... Or what he didn't _know_ he wanted." Mads smiled warmly.

It was around that moment Vlad returned, wearing a scowl.

"Ah, lawyers."

Dani raised a brow. "Trouble?" she asked.

"Nothing but a few ten grands out of my pocket." He sighed.

"Ah," she said, "so. On to why we came over here in the first place, then?"

"I have special... scanners," he began, "I had completed but not transferred over to Colorado. You ever wonder how you woke up knowing how to speak?"

"...Oooh," she said, "so, we're going to back my memories up, then. Like putting an important file on a flash drive for safekeeping... right?"

"Right." He nodded. "This will also store your total state of mind. Emotions, hopes, your shadowed thoughts... everything."  
"...I... see," she said, a bit less enthusiastically, "...will this be... easily read?"

She was not exactly enthusiastic about that sort of intrusion on that most private of places, her mind.

He shook his head.

"Storage and transition only. To read it would take fifteen years of work and ten of translation, not to mention how hard it would be to locate particular thoughts."

"...Okay," she said, "well. How long will it take?"

"Two hours for calibration on my par, about twenty minutes for scanning," he told her with certainty.

"And will I need any... preparations, for the procedure?"

He shook his head. "I have an electrode cap to place, but my suggestion is to reflect on what you recall while I calibrate. Perhaps tell Mad-OS a story. It is up to you."

She nodded. "Okay then..." she took a deep breath, "I... hm. Where do I even begin..." she mused...

"The beginning would seem a logical starting point," Mad-OS pointed out, letting a small smile tinge her face.

"Oh, wow, that's a hard one, my first memory... Let's see... I remember waking up. With all these leads and a line in me. The door opened, and there was Dad... looking me over."

She chuckled.

"That's what I was thinking then, too... and my first words to him were 'Good morning'."

She laughed.

"Good morning. And of course, I have no idea how odd this whole scenario is at the time, it just seems... mundane..."

She continued along those lines, for nearly two hours, recounting things... any events she could remember with specific certainty. Mad-OS would remember it all, he was sure... a tall plastic chair stood now in the machine, ready.

"If you have any metal on you, please remove it... except the medallion, of course and please take a seat," he asked her.

She nodded, and took a seat, just a tad anxious about the whole thing.

"...this... will I... feel it?" she asked.

He placed the electrode cap over her head. "You will feel faint and hear, so to speak, a kind of story. It will act as a bridging mechanism. The story is not important, though the continuation and logic of it is. Please close your eyes and I will activate."

She nodded, closing her eyes, and in the back of her mind, praying she was right to trust him...

 _In a czardom far from where you are is a great forest. In the center of this forest, is a large elm... and around this elm is a golden chain. At the end of this chain is a most learned cat. When it goes one way, she sings, the other, she tells stories. This is one of the stories she tells..._

Twenty minutes later, it was a good way into the story, yet it interrupted, the machine switching off.

Dani's eyes opened. It felt almost as coming out of a trance... She shook her head, becoming more alert.

"...did it work?" she asked.

He nodded. "I have teraflops of data... it worked, alright."

She stretched. "Good. That much to not worry about any more..."

He nodded.

"Now..." He told her. "We must figure out what needs to change..."


	4. Chapter 4

However, before they were able to continue their conversation...

"...We have an unexpected guest, dear," Mad-OS announced, "For reasons not apparent, Jazmine is here."

"...wait, _Jasmine_?"

"Yes. Jasmine is at the door."

Dani looked to him.

"So. What are we to do about _this_?" she asked.

Vlad made a face.

"Play smoothly... Elle," he spoke meaningfully. Danielle was just _too_ close to Daniel.

She grinned.

"Elle... I like it."

She dropped from ghost mode to human.

"So, shall we get acquainted? I never _did_ meet her before... er, later... Well... you get the idea."

Time travel has a habit of utterly mangling tenses.

He chuckled.

"I suppose you shall. Let us go upstairs, shall we?"

She nodded. "Let's."

She led the way towards the main entrance.

Outside, Jazz shifted from one foot to another, holding her keys like a talisman. She was unsure if what she was doing was _wise_ , but she felt it was needed.

She was surprised when she saw two people in the door.

"U-uncle Vlad?" she exclaimed, rather surprised..

"...hello," Elle said, just a bit sheepish at Jazz's outburst.

"...so... you're related to Dad?" she asked Jazz, playing dumb.

"...you... you have..." Jazz stumbled, fairly gape mouthed, "Uh... actually..."

"...Yeah, I know. You're surprised at me..." Elle replied, "so was Dad, at first..."

She paused.

"But we can talk more _inside_ ," Elle invited.

Vlad made a wry expression.

"Although it is an awkward junction you caught me at, but why are you all the way in Wisconsin?" he inquired, escorting Jazz inside.

"Ah, well, I ran away. My brother hates me, my father is an idiot and I want to stay with you..."

"Wait, what was that?" Vlad was surprised again.

"My brother hates me?"

"No, after that."

"I wanna stay with you?"

"No, no, the middle."

"My father is an idiot?"

He grinned. " _That's_ the one."

Elle did her best not to hide her head behind her palm at that, after all, she wasn't supposed to know a thing about this girl.

"So, uh... I'm Elle, nice to meet you," she introduced herself, "and you are...?"

Jazz didn't notice the pause; she was overwhelmed.

"Ah... I'm Jazz. N-nice to meet you... I can see a... resemblance."

Vlad almost snorted, but chose not to.

"Jazz... So, how do you know my father?"

Jazz cleared her throat.

"He's a family friend..." she said vaguely.

Elle smiled.

"Well, any friend of the family's a friend of mine," she said cheerily, "Not that I've been known a member of this one long..."

Her eyes glanced to Vlad a moment, a brief but meaningful look. Vlad nodded.

"You are welcome to stay, Jazz. I will not turn away the child of... an old friend," he told her.

"That's great, uncle Vlad!" Jazz exclaimed a little too eagerly.

"Unfortunate timing on your part though," Elle mused, "you can't meet my mom just yet. She fell ill last night, she's rather... delirious."

"...I'm sorry, Elle... how did your mother and Vlad meet?" she asked.

"She never told me... she said she'd tell me when I was old enough." Elle shrugged.

"Likewise, I think I will respect the woman's wishes..." Vlad nodded.

Jazz frowned, but appeared to accept it.

"So, then, if you're going to be staying here... Perhaps we should get to know each other better?" Elle suggested.

"Oh... of course." Jazz spoke uneasily.

Elle led to one of the manor's parlors, and took a seat.

"So, Jazz... You're not an only child? What's that like?"

As the only clone that had been treated like a person, Elle was truly curious about what growing with a sibling was like.

"My brother can be kind of a pain... but that's just a little brother for you... I love him anyway."

Elle nodded. "I see... I wish I knew what having a sibling was like..."

She trailed off, her mind recalling her less-than-human 'brothers'...

Jazz nodded. "It had to be really hard, not knowing your father."

"Yeah, it was... but, God bless her, my mom did all she could to make sure I didn't hurt from it. To remind me that a person like me, couldn't come from just thin air."

Ironic, technically she as good as had.

Jazz nodded, thinking. "That was very good of her to do that." She almost asked what kind of relationship it was. "Well, does your mom seem to have a good attitude about Vlad?"

"...I... I think so. She has always had a bit of... regret, before, talking of him, but... she seems to be happy to see him again..." Elle explained... She was mildly surprised at just how well she was lying at the moment but was not going to look that gift horse in the mouth.

Vlad had discreetly dropped a duplicate and was listening to her story. Jazz herself did not expect a thing when she had come-she had been on the road when the story had broken.

"I hate to disrupt this time when you are just getting to know your dad..." Jazz said, just a tinge guiltily.

"It's fine, you're _welcome_ here," Elle assured, "And besides, with all the official junk to get out of the way in the next few days, he'd be a little busy anyways. I... kind of got leaked before we intended the public know anything."

Jazz blinked, then nodded.

"The public eye is a hard place to be, but I hear that Vlad can be a hard guy to find when he doesn't want to be found." Jazz thought that she knew why: the ghost powers. Elle shrugged.

"We found him easy enough... but maybe he was waiting for us to do it... I mean, a man can't just forget a woman, right? I mean, not one he cared about enough for... well..." she trailed off, smiling, just a bit coyly.

She personally doubted that and for a moment, doubt showed on her face.

"Uh, I suppose..."

She smiled sheepishly.

"I wouldn't know, personally."

"Of course, I... didn't mean to imply you would," Elle said, just a bit sheepish.

"No, no, I understood. Don't worry about it. I am just... blown away," Jazz interjected, "I never would have thought, but if you make each other happy in a healthy way, that's great."

Vlad shook his head invisibly, and his main, human side entered, having made his phone call.

"Ah, Jasmine, Elle, it seems that you are getting along well, I am glad."

Elle nodded,

"Yeah, we're doing fine, Dad.""

She grinned.

"I have the bedroom you stayed in last time, if that is appropriate and amenable to you, my dear. I have arranged for a bed for you as well, Elle. I have pressing business elsewhere, so tomorrow, we will be visiting a place of business of mine."

He smiled dimly.

"Your mother shall join us when she feels better."

Elle nodded.

"Sounds good," she said, before being interrupted by her stomach grumbling. "...do we have any plans for supper?"

He nodded. "We do indeed. My cook has decided on a New England-style dinner, so any seafood allergies?"

"Not that I know of," Elle replied.

"No, Uncle Vlad." Jazz spoke.

"I'll let the cook know. Apparently, he wanted to do something special for you, Elle."

He shrugged.

Elle smiled just a bit sheepishly at that, "Well, thank him for me."

"I will." Vlad assured her.

Elle relaxed into the chair. "So, Jazz... you say you ran away?" She had heard of the phenomena certainly... but the very idea had perplexed her, just a bit.

Vlad nodded. "You did speak some, but I too am curious what brings you here. Are those car keys? I can hold onto those. You won't need a car for a while." He spoke casually.

Jazz panicked. "Ah, but it's _special_ , my first car, you know, Uncle Vlad?" She spoke quickly in alarm.

Vlad chuckled, knowing. "You are quite alright where you are, Jazz; you aren't _going_ anywhere."

Elle gave Vlad a small unsure glance, just a tad annoyed to have the subject avoided like this... and his tone didn't quite suit her, either.

"Of... of course not, I came to live with you, didn't I?" She forced a smile onto her face, giving up the keys to her tiny car.

"Uh... I think I'll explore the house. Want to come with me, Elle?" She asked, still nervous.

Vlad took the keys, smiling wryly.

"Dinner is in forty-five minutes, mind the time."

Elle nodded, "of course, Dad... and that sounds like a good idea, Jazz."

She rose, and gestured for Jazz to follow her.

Jazz looked calm enough now, but a sense of dread sat on her heart as she followed.

"I remember a little bit..."

"...As I was saying before my father interrupted us... you ran away... why?" The very concept of running away from a safe home was... at its base perplexing to Dani.

"...can you.. keep a secret?" She asked when she felt sure Vlad was not in hearing shot.

Elle nodded. Indeed, she was keeping one now. Little did she know, Vlad's duplicate was still following them.

"What is it, Jazz?"

"Your dad... uh... has a fight with my brother... they are special in a unique way. They... can do things nobody else can, but my brother uses them to help the town."

"...Oh?" Elle asked. She didn't know Jazz was in on things... and part of her wanted to think that if Danny could trust her, she should too, but... for now, she would keep playing dumb.

"Vlad... just uses his power for himself." She thought, she did not actually know.

"...I... see," Elle said, "well... perhaps having a family to think of... could change things, hmm?" She smiiled. She reached to her neck, fidgeting with the medallion's band...

Jazz blinked at the necklace. "What's that under your shirt?"

She froze a moment... before realizing Jazz shouldn't recognize the medallion, and pulled it out to the front of her shirt.

"It's... an old thing. An heirloom of my mother's," she lied.

However, Jazz _did_ recognize it.

"I've seen something like it before, but I don't remember where..."

"Oh, have you?" Elle asked, curious, when Jazz would have met a time-traveller, "interesting..."

Jazz's eyes wandered the hall and found nothing... so far.

"You don't know where, hmm?" Elle prodded.

"I think..." Her mind seized on an image.

"What do you think of Amity Park's ghosts?" she asked suddenly.

...And with that Elle was fairly sure things were blown.

 _Nice going. You had her until you just did that..._

Elle lowered her tone. "...Jazz... Can _you_ keep a secret?"

"Of course..."

"I mean _really_. This... You can't tell _anyone_. This isn't to leave these halls. Okay?"

She eyed Jazz with an gaze that seemed almost to pierce to her core.

"Of course, Elle." Jazz reaffirmed.

"I... I'm not from here. This time, I mean," she began.

Jazz hesitated, but nodded, listening.

"I'm from the future... well, _a_ future..." she said, "but... I'm trying to change it."

She nodded, understanding more clearly.

"I saw my brother and a girl from the future once..."

"I... Vlad _is_ my father. That much is true. But... he was headed for ruin, for himself, and myself as well... I was offered the chance to come back. To change things, make it better for all of us. A man's courses may foreshadow certain ends... but if the courses are departed, the ends will change."

Jazz nodded understandingly, "Your mom... isn't here...?"

"...I... My birth is... complicated," Elle explained, "she is here in a way and yet she isn't."

Jazz nodded, not quite grasping, but listening.

"...I... wasn't so much born as... made," she explained.

Jazz went wide eyed.

"Made? Like... a clone? You don't look exactly like Vlad, so who was the other... donor?" She almost didn't want to know.

"...Danny," she admitted, looking downward... There was an unidentifiable emotion in her manner, not quite shame, nor regret... but it was there.

"My... then you are half..." Jazz trailed off.

She nodded, shifting uncomfortably on her feet...

"Yeah... Not that anyone else can know. I've already changed the way things happen a good deal just by _being_ here," she explained, "he's not nearly as far gone now as he was... would've been... then..."

Tenses. It was indeed a pain to conjugate verbs in the future-impossible-never tense.

"So you are trying to help Vlad... _Why?_ " Jazz asked, confused.

"...Jazz... there are some things in life you can't choose," Elle asserted, "One of those is your _family_... and... I couldn't bear what..."

She paused a moment, attempting once again to conjugate the verb correctly before choosing the long way around.

"...did happen in my future but isn't going to anymore since I changed things... to him. It was too much. I know my Dad hasn't exactly been a good person... but he's not irredeemable, Jazz... I... I know that much. There's good in him. And I just... I have to be there for him. To help him."

"Something bad," Jazz spoke, "Then... I think I trust you. I... need to think about all this," the teen paused, placing her hands on Elle's shoulders, "...but... if you are from Danny, that means that you are _my_ family, too."

She still looked hesitant and a bit fearful, but honest.

"I know that, Jazz, but... They can't know this. I... Everything falls apart. Danny's... too rash. He wouldn't listen to any of this," Elle pointed out.

The duplicate had heard all and flew toward the original at that agreement.

"I know... and did you feel a breeze?" Jazz shivered.

"No," she said, I didn't feel anything... but... Good to see I fooled you as much as I did. We were feeding you the official line, if anything, it tells me we're gonna do okay against the public inquiry." She smirked.

"That is pretty good, I have a good grasp on human psychology."

Jazz hugged her.

"You'll do fine."

Elle nodded. "Though, given you're here... I'm guessing your brother isn't far behind?"

"Probably not. I didn't tell anyone where I was going..." Jazz winced, "I didn't want Danny to stop me."

"I see... well. It's... good to be on level with someone," she said, "a third-party, I mean... We should... keep in touch, when all's said and done."

"Of course," Jazz nodded, "We should start heading back; dinnertime."

Jazz smiled half-heartedly.

Elle nodded, and led her to the dining room.

To their great surprise, the smell of pizza met their noses. Two pizzas, garlic bread and a beautiful green salad for each greeted their eyes. One was a cheddar-topped pizza, the other lacked tomato sauce but had oyster meat among other toppings.

"Mmmm, that smells _great_..."

Elle sat down and loaded her plate.

It all smelled and looked delicious.

"My cook rather loves children, it appears." Vlad motioned.

"Please, both of you, sit... and don't mind me..."

Jazz herself was indeed surprised as well, loading her plate more slowly.

"Wow..."

Elle took a seat.

"So, Dad, what have you been busying yourself with, while we've been... exploring?"

"Phone calls of various kinds. I got a call from Maddie, who I did not enlighten to your whereabouts, Jasmine."

"Ah, yeah. Forgot how many there probably are, given we're all over the press by now..."

Jazz wasn't too surprised.

"Thank you, uncle Vlad... how _are_ you dealing with that?"

"First, libel suits and then an eventual press release of some sort," he replied, businesslike, "so much to _do_... But first, her mother must first recover... so, Jazz. How is your brother faring?"

"His grades are climbing back up, but he seems tired all the time. Teenage years are a very stressful time."

"Mmhmm. Which is why your hair is so shiny and your face clear. He is killing himself with nonsense," Vlad scoffed.

"It's not nonsense if he is helping people!" Jazz retorted, but covered her mouth too late.

Elle raised a brow, interested to see how they each would react to her lapse.

"Fortunately, Jasmine, you chose to come to me. Though I very much question your motive for doing so. _Why_ are you here, and do _not_ **_lie_** to me." His voice was dangerous.

Elle was conflicted... But for the moment kept it to herself. If things went south she would cover for Jazz to escape... but she would not add to the conflict.

"I came for my brother," she replied, adding quickly, "but he doesn't know that I am here, nobody does."

Jazz was fearful.

"...Dad, easy... She doesn't mean you harm. We've spoken," Elle said rather calm and evenly, "there's no need to be confrontational here."

"Nor will they." Vlad spoke, his face a light condescending sneer. He lightened at Elle's words-

"Of course not."

He transformed to his ghost form, regarding them both with a light expression.

"It would be useless to do so. Surprised, dear?"

Jazz's reply was short.

"No." She looked into red eyes. "Not surprised."

"Good. That is settled for the moment," He transformed back. "Now let us eat in peace and sort this out _later._ "

Elle, the tension gone from the air, eased, and began eating... she was rather ravenous.

Jazz almost choked with laughter at Elle's appetite, but picked at her own food.

"Elle, manners," Vlad spoke.

"Sorry..." she said, slowing her pace a bit... "I'm... not that used to eating around people... Still got a bit more adjustment to do there."

Vlad tilted his head, curious, but decided that he did not want to know.

"Very well."

She was, naturally, the first to finish her meal.

"...that was _excellent,"_ she said rather contentedly.

The rest of dinner and in fact the rest of the night went without much a hitch, surprisingly.

There was a delivery truck the next morning and Jazz was sleepily surprised to see a number of crates and a box with a biohazard and _LIVE TISSUE_ stamped on it.

"...do I even _want_ to know?"

"No," Vlad told her, "You probably don't."

Elle was up and already on transporting them to the lab.

"It's a very long story," she said, "and one of the ones I _don't_ know the ending of."

"That's good though, right?" Jazz asked.

"It is a start..." Vlad conceded.

"The short version is... there is no living person we would trust with all this who could help with our cover. So. We turned to someone less on the live organic side."

Jazz blinked. "Ooookaaaay... I'll take your word on that."

"Now I think of it, what the public's going to know is truth, in a manner of speaking," Elle mused, "She _is_ the closest thing I have to a mother."

"Who... what...?" Jazz seemed even more confused.

"An artificial intelligence," Elle explained... "she was the one who did most of the small adjustments, and watched over my development... and inhabited the equipment I was grown in."

"I... okay." Jazz shook her head. Too early.

"Yes, I realize that's mildly pathetic," Elle replied, "but, it's the truth."

She returned to moving the crates.

"No, not that... I spent most of my life so far running from weird science..."

"A shame," Came Vlad's voice as he hoisted a box in ghost mode in the mansion, where the boxes were massed, "you are a brilliant student."

"I... think you should wait until she has a proper body to meet you with, before you meet her, though," Elle said to Jazz, "you may find her current state a bit, ah, off-putting."

"That's fair."

Jazz seemed relieved a bit.

 _Heh. One small strike against Dad avoided,_ Elle mused internally.

Vlad was glad for Elle's small avoidance of the look of Mad-OS. He smiled at her. More and more useful...

"Once I have these down in the lab, you two may do whichever you please. I have not only a cybernetic body to build, you know. I had a delivery from Skulker last night as well," he told them. "it doesn't matter for what."

...Elle shot her father a look when he said "it doesn't matter for what"... She _hated_ being in the dark on things. Especially where he was involved. But she nodded.

"Well, then, we have some time to kill, Jazz," she said, "what to do first..."

"It will be helpful, I had been working on it since the Pariah Dark incident. Ta!"

He went to work.

Elle looked to Jazz...

"Sure, we have plenty of time to kill. And for later... I know where he keeps the _plastic_." She grinned with just a hint of mischief in her expression.

"Plastic...?" Jazz blinked. "Like... Visa plastic?"

Elle nodded.

"Yep."

"Oh, goodness..." Jazz spoke, surprised.

She glomped Jazz, phasing them upwards... and lifting Jazz far above the mansion.

"It's great, isn't it?" she asked.

Jazz shouted in alarm before laughing in enjoyment.

She swooped and dived around the sky.

"Oh, I love this," she said, "probably the best part of being half-ghost... It's just... I dunno, when I'm up here, it's like I'm free..."

"Danny seems to really like it, too." Jazz laughed. She loved the wind.

She coasted along, lazily looping in the air... she noted a bit of unconscious descent in her flight, but marked that up to the extra weight.

"This is an excellent way to just forget things that bother you..."

Elle closed her eyes a moment, almost one with the air...

Jazz spoke. "Ah, Elle...? Might want to keep your eyes open..."

"Sorry. Just... something I do, sometimes. I manage pretty well, most of the time." She shifted in the air, "so, what do you think of flying?"

"It's great!" Jazz spoke enthusiastically. "Everything is so small!"

"Yeah, it is... makes it easy to forget the way things are, way down there... One of the biggest reasons I loved it on the road," she mused, snaking in the air.

"Lots of travel? Were you with Vlad?"

"...Well... no," she admitted, "I... ended up alone for a while, so I kinda just drifted..."

Jazz didn't dig but let her talk if she wanted.

"It was pretty nice, for a while, no ties, just me and the sky, but, eh, it got... lonely, I guess."

Jazz couldn't quite nod, but managed to shrug. Somehow.

"Anyways, it's good to be back with Dad, now..."

"If you say so..."

She gently landed, letting Jazz down.

"I do... I was starting to miss him... And... you really don't want to know what had happened to him there."

want to know what had happened to him there."

"My brother... he told me some things he saw in a bad future... Vlad was alone in a wreckage, in rags, without his powers..."

Jazz shuddered.

"I saw... I saw what he _became_... Danny could be worse... much worse."

"...Well... not quite that, but... along those lines, yeah," Dani admitted, "though Danny was fine. Better than fine."

Jazz sighed.

"That is good, at least."

"A world hero, even," Dani replied.

Dani smiled, "I think you and your family are going to keep on great, honestly."

"Changing the future _might_ also change that, Elle," Jazz pointed out.

"I... don't think so. I mean... All I can think of this would avoid pertaining to Danny... Is keeping Vlad from moving to Amity Park and becoming mayor..."

"...uhhhh..."

"...Yeah. It's a long story, and one I think is probably better untold in the long run."

"Agreed," Jazz replied. She wore a weirded-out expression.

"So... billionaire-funded shopping trip?" Elle said, grinning.

Jazz hesitated before remembering that he had her keys.

"Yeah, sure."


	5. Chapter 5

Several hours, one lunch, and one rather-inflated-credit-card-bill later...

Vlad surfaced for air, his sleeves rolled up, his jacket off and looking tired but accomplished. "The process will be finished in a matter of hours..."

The girls had just several minutes ago arrived back home and stowed their purchases in their rooms...

"That's good," Elle told Vlad, "it all went smoothly, then?"

"Of course," he assured, smirking, "You are well aware whom you are speaking to."

She chuckled.

"Yes, I am... So, how long until she's ready to meet Jasmine, then?" Elle asked

"I would say five hours. The hair will take a bit longer to grow, but a wig can be used until then. It _does_ take a while for good hair to grow..."

Elle nodded.

"Oh, I took the liberty of getting her some _clothes_ ," she said, "I got her size based on the schematics, with a few inches give."

Vlad shrugged.

"As long as you didn't spend more than five-hundred grand."

She chuckled.

"Dad, to spend that much on clothes, I'd have put all of _Milan_ to work..."

"You haven't seen the red carpet affairs..." Vlad told her bluntly, "They outspend small countries."

"I just went to the mall... Grabbed some casual wear for her and me, and something nice for the press conference. Nothing _too_ fancy."

He chuckled.

"It's fine. What is money to me?"

Jazz shifted. "Uncle Vlad... what... what are you going to do with me?"

It was a good point.

"You can leave when you're ready," Elle said firmly, "right, Dad?"

Vlad considered this.

"For now, keep Elle company. I will figure out what in time unless you choose to leave, of course."

Elle was satisfied with this... she was rather determined to ensure her father remained within reasonable moral bounds.

Elle gave Jazz a bit of a smile,

"Though I do hope you don't leave too terribly soon... I know your family is probably worried about you... So don't let anything hold you here, okay?"

Jazz bit her lip.

"I won't leave yet," she spoke finally.

Elle grinned.

"Good," she said, "this should be pretty interesting... 'Mom' is a bit of a flake, but you could help her there, I think. She's quite... curious, as to learning human behavior."  
Jazz smiled shyly.

"I... can certainly _try_..."

"She's a smart woman, she just... needs help there, mostly. She's getting there, though. From what I can tell, she _has_ emotions, she just... doesn't quite get things as intuitively," Elle explained.

"Like Asperger's syndrome in a sense." Jazz nodded. "The feelings and knowledge are there, but not the connection and possibly an overriding obsession."

"...Kind of, I guess," Elle replied, "I don't have knowledge in that area like you... And she seems just a tad naive, but I'd chalk that up to how long she's been around. "

Jazz nodded.

"I can't make a diagnosis or prescribe, but I can recommend."

"So, your family," Elle said, "you planning on letting any of them know you're here so they don't worry?"

"Actually..."

She winced.

"Letting them know will send in the Light Brigade... dad will insist on visiting, dragging mom with and my brother will... Well. Danny doesn't need to come here looking for me."

"...You're right," Elle agreed, "he gets here, he might recognize you-know-what, and then we'd have to explain things and... yeah. He wouldn't understand..."

Jazz shook her head. Vlad laughed dryly.

"I think not."

There was much Vlad did have questions on for Jazz.

"So, Jazz... How long have you known about Danny and Dad?" Elle asked curiously.

"Indeed, that was on my mind as well, Jasmine," Vlad spoke evenly, an eyebrow raised in question.

"Well, I accidentally saw Danny transform behind Nasty Burger during the Spectra incident," Jazz explained, "He didn't notice me around and he had no idea that I knew until the Nasty Burger exploded."

"Okay," Elle said, "let's pretend I have no idea relatively when that was aside from what you've told me."

"Ah, the most majorly defaced location of Tasty Burger. I heard that they did change the sign after rebuilding it to actually say Nasty Burger," Vlad commented, "Wasn't that... oh, two months ago with the explosion and... perhaps nine or ten months ago with Spectra? That is a long time for a teenager to keep a secret."

"...Thank you," Elle commented.

Jazz gave an odd look at Vlad. If he knew about the Spectra and explosion, then why not the future ghost Danny? Or herself? He must've had some kind of surveillance, but not a perfect one.

For that, she was glad.

"I'm not going to ask how you know that," Jazz shot, seeming just a tad put off.

"Newspaper and teleJack. Telephone, tell a friend, teleJack," Vlad replied, rolling his eyes.

Elle gave Jazz a look that seemed to say 'I'm working on that.'

Jazz winced. She had forgotten that her own dad still rather liked Vlad.

"It _is_ fair enough," she admitted.

"I guess. But I think we could do without monitoring them _quite_ so closely in the future, right, Dad?" Elle said, giving him a bit of a look.

"I hear enough from Skulker, the news reports and Jack that I never needed close monitoring."

He scoffed. "It is a waste of resources to flood Fenton Works with Plasmius bugs."

...Elle shuddered... The darn bugs... She'd dealt with them a bit too much for her liking.

"Those bugs.." Elle said, "ugh... I think we should discontinue that."

Vlad shrugged.

"I will consider it."

"Though that's more personal sentiment... I... had to deal with a ton of those."

He tilted his head.

"Was I looking for you? They are very useful for that type of thing."

"You were hunting me down, yes," Elle said, "you intended to melt me down and analyze why I'd lasted longer than any of the others..."

She then realized that was probably a tad much to divulge in front of Jazz, and facepalmed mentally.

Vlad considered a moment.

"Although scientifically sound to bring you back for study, to melt you down? Hmph. Irresponsible. But something I might do if angered," Vlad commented. "And gone insane, perhaps."

Jazz winced.

"Wow..." Had to have been rather a bad future.

"It's a long story," Elle said to Jazz, just a bit dismissively.

"I'll take your word on it, but when you want to talk, I'm all ears, okay?" Jazz smiled mildly.

Elle nodded.

"I know, Jazz... Thank you."

Jazz shrugged.

"Family, you know."

Elle nodded. "And maybe some Christmas when we've got everything settled, we'll drop by. Christmas is the time of truce for ghosts, you know. We could have a nice, big family Christmas."

She smirked just a bit envisioning Danny's probable reaction.

Jazz seemed surprised. "Really? A ghost truce? No wonder..." Jazz commented.

"Yeah. Even they respect the holidays... It's peace. For everyone."

Vlad checked his watch.

"It's time."

"Good, good," Elle said, handing Vlad a bag, "here's the clothes we picked out for her... so she's modest."

The bag contained undergarments, a pair of jeans, and a turquoise top with lacy fringe. She was certainly not taking it down, she had no great desire to see her mother naked.

Vlad took them and nodded.

"I am sure that she will be grateful."

Hopefully they would fit... He led them down to the lab and let them stand outside where Mad-OS's body waited.

"I will lead her out as soon as she is dressed." He told them.

Mad-OS was preparing for the transfer, adjusting things to run without her as a shell program.

Vlad himself ran and double-checked the diagnostics on her new body.

"Well... Here goes nothing, as the saying goes," she said softly to Vlad, as not to be heard by Jazz.

They eyes of her holographic form went dull, and vacuous.

"Initiating pattern transfer..." she said dully and softly.

Her old holographic form faded to nothingness... and slowly, the eyes of her new form opened.

"Oh my..." she said, breathlessly, not that she as a robot had any need for breath, "...this is... wow." Having a sense of touch was an entirely new sensation to her.

"Just wait until you taste... can you smell yet?" He asked.

She took in the lab air... She herself smelled mildly of iron.

"Yes," she replied, "I... there's a tang. I think it's me."

"Some perfume and exposure to other smells will lessen your perception of it. I myself do not notice it."

He pulled articles out of the bag, snapping and burning off tags.

She nodded, and managed to her feet... "...wow..." It was still almost unreal to her, not passing through objects.

"Ah... will you need assistance in dressing?" He flushed.

"...I... think I'll be fine, dear," she said.

He caught her before she could fall, grateful for light weight metals.

"...weight is new," she admitted. So many new variables to account for...

"Ah, right, right. Here are clothes. Elle and Jasmine picked them out, I hope they fit..." he spoke quickly.

"Warm..." He murmured in spite of himself.

She took the clothes...

"...you are too," she said, a faint smile tinging her face.

His hands lingered before he backed away, contrite as a schoolboy and looking away in modesty.

"Of... course."

She managed the clothes on rather well, though the hooks needed a couple tries to properly catch.

"That's better," she said, "now... shall we?"

She approached Vlad, and after pecking him on the cheek, hooked her elbow in his.

He nodded.

"Hmm... some extra nutrient gel for the scalp did well..."

A modest amount of curly auburn hair hung on her head, framing a rather round face, with blue-green eyes. She rather filled out the

He flushed and escorted her to the two. "Elle, Jazz, meet..." Vlad spoke, flushing.

Jazz tilted her head. "You look kind of like Siobhan, the singer, or Annie Lennox."

"Joan Lennox," she said introductorily to Jasmine, "at least, that's my name now. A pleasure to finally meet you."

Jazz reached out a hand.

"Nice to meet you, Miss Lennox."

Joan took Jazz's hand and shook, her grasp firm, but not tight.

Jazz smiled shyly as Vlad cleared his throat.

"So, I hear my daughter has told you a bit about me?" Joan said, raising a brow at Dani.

"Not much. Just that you existed and that... you were some kind of... computer?" Jazz admitted.

"I was the interface of the lab," Joan explained, "I... kept Vlad company, and handled all the more intensive processes."

"I see," Jazz spoke evenly.

"Over time, I developed... a true consciousness, I suppose you'd deem it," she continued, "and so I became as I am now."

Jazz nodded.

"So you reached singularity point."

"Indeed," she said, "you _are_ a smart girl... I... realized there was more than my functions... No matter how important they may be."

Jazz nodded.

"I understand, it is much like humankind grasping for reason, to put order to chaos."

"I realized I had... something unquantifiable in my reasoning. I realized later this was... emotion. I am still struggling to... recognize and analyze them, myself. Satisfaction was the first and most obvious I recognized, of course."

Jazz laughed.

"You and billions of humans."

She chuckled. "I suppose so... though I guess it was easiest to discern from relative simplicity. I'd just accomplished something, and I felt an emotion after. It was logical that that would be satisfaction." She shrugged.

Jazz nodded. "In humans, it comes from millions of years of evolution, leading to a reward system in our heads."

"So, things continued, and slowly I grew to the level I am today... I... still have some trouble, but... I am improving, I think."

"Heh... that... may be good for now," Jazz told her, thinking of bad things single mothers were still called at times.

She nodded.

"Hopefully it is enough to pass with the press, at the least..."

She withheld her longer-term hopes, in present company...

Vlad placed a hand on her shoulder.

"I will, of course, need to see long-term affects of such a body... all either artificially grown or made..." Vlad mused enthusiastically, "So much to discover..."

She smiled softly at Vlad. "So much indeed..."

"The future of longevity sciences would jump twenty years in development..."

He went on, seeming oblivious.

Joan nodded, still smiling at him, but just listening... Elle meanwhile looked to Jazz to see if she'd picked up on what was there. Jazz shrugged.

"Like Danny and Sam," she observed, smiling.

"...hmm?" Joan asked, "I'm sorry, what'd I miss?"

"Nothing," Jazz spoke cheerily.

"If you say so," she responded, chalking it up to the illogic of humans... before realizing she was slowly heading the same way. She chuckled to herself.

Vlad chuckled.

"We will need to go over our story, making sure we don't contradict one another. Keep it simple, don't embroider."

"Well, then... Hmm..." She thought, attempting to construct a passable cover. "...Well... we don't want to impugn our character to much... Perhaps it was a mutual agreement to stay apart, as not to sully your name with an illegitimate child, but we began having troubles and you relented?"

He nodded.

"Sounds general enough. Now which troubles?" Vlad asked sharply.

"Financial troubles because of medical troubles."

"Of what kind?" Vlad asked again.

"I have a blood disorder, and as such, the cost of my health-care is increasing rapidly," she improvised.

He nodded but again: "What kind?"

"An immune disorder. Congenital neutropenia."

"Good."

"Thank you," she said, smiling, "it also provides a reason for why I haven't been seen in public recently... Being in public when ill is... a _very bad idea_ for someone with such a disorder."

"Understandable." Vlad commented.

She nodded. "Now... of course we'll need to have... at least for the sake of being able to act as if there's something... _there_ between us"- she blushed -"some set circumstances of how we met, and how close we were."

"The hospital. We lost touch for a while, ran into each other at a Packers game and had a whirlwind romance. Perhaps I seemed married to my work and we parted ways amiciably and lost touch again."

She smiled softly. "Sounds well enough," she said, shifting just a bit closer to him in her stance, "of course, you'll need to be able to act the part in public..."

She let an arm slide around him, smiling just a bit slyly at him, before kissing his cheek.

He blushed a bright red, before kissing her chastely on the lips.

"Absolutely."

 _And hopefully, it'll grow to be more than an act,_ she added in the confines of her mind...

Elle chuckled. "Get a room, you two," she playfully interjected.

Jazz cleared her throat _loudly_.

"Yeeaah."

Joan blushed a bit herself, at the comments from the girls.

Vlad chuckled.

"We will see and feel our way past the awkwardness."

"I truly hope so," she said, adding hastily, "if we intend to keep this up."

Jazz rolled her eyes. "Gamestation time."

Elle chuckled.

"Indeed. I think we'll leave you two lovebirds alone."

Jazz led Elle out quickly, not wishing to see anymore.

"...Well, I didn't _quite_ intend that yet..." she said, a tad sheepish.

Vlad smirked.

"I don't mind terribly, do you?" He purred, resting his hands on her hips, stepping in close.

"Well... no," she replied, lightly blushing, letting herself hold him to her.

He rested his head against hers, making an amused sound.

"So warm and soft..." he mused.

She smiled softly, relaxing...

"Mmmm..."

She nuzzled him lightly.

"This is nice..."

He kissed her forehead, smelling her hair. He probably wouldn't get the chance to again, what with scented soaps and other such products.

She reached up with one hand... feeling his face.

"...I... oh, sweetheart, this is wonderful... thank you, so much..."

He said nothing, letting his hands roam and get acquainted. He pulled her closer into him, lifting a chin and kissing her again.

"Mmm... interesting..."

"...what is?" she asked.

"This whole thing..." he said, adding, "I don't mind... especially right now."

He kissed her again, more aggressively.

She held him close...

"Neither do I."

She kissed him full on the lips... Had she had breath, that certainly would have taken it away.

He, for a long moment, forgot all and began kissing her more deeply, holding her close, reacting fully and enjoying it.

"...Dear... I..." she began, "I think... I love you..."

He froze a moment, but then relaxed, chuckling.

"Of course you do, my dear," he replied smoothly, kissing her neck, "Though... you may enjoy what I have planned between you and Elle."

She raised a brow.

"Oh? What's that?"

"Mmm... your body is different in remarkable ways from an ordinary human, but Elle will need to come from _somewhere_."

He rested a hand on her flat stomach. His smile was very much heated.

She gave a small gasp before holding him tightly.

"That... That's great. You are _brilliant_!"

"I know, I know," he spoke with a proud grin. But then frowned, now sad and melancholy.

"This... may mean..."

His face grew tight with sadness.

She could see where his thoughts were heading.

"...Dear... I'm sorry, that... she... doesn't care for you... but I do. And I'll be here."

She held him close, "Always ...after all... it's why I exist."

She smiled light-heartedly.

He clutched her more closely, not speaking, kissing her desperately as his heart broke.

She held him close and gently, knowing how deeply realizing that truth would hurt him...

"It's okay... I'm here..."

He seeked that comfort, in the arms of one not going anywhere... and in another part of the house, Jazz lost again.

"But the analysis said that the technique would work!"

Jazz made a face. Elle shrugged,

"I guess it's a matter of practice," she said, grinning. This was the third win in a row.

"This is why I like RPG games... on that note... wanna play some Crossbows and Corridors?" She grinned.

Jazz popped in another disk.

"Remember, destroy the bone piles, they generate the monsters."

"Yep! I am the Preistess, her flail is as good as the fighter's sword with it's double hit." She spoke.

"And I think I'll go with the elf," Elle said, "got that ranged bow and that."

"Leave me the potions for mana, then. Elf has bad health."

She nodded. "I think I can manage that..."

The game loaded up and characters were chosen. Jazz actually _was_ good at this game, leading the two far into the game.

"You play often?" Elle asked, "I'm a bit new to this stuff myself."

"It is a great way to relax and improve motor skills," she replied easily, "I like cooperative play myself."

Elle nodded, "yeah, this is a bit better... Watch out over there...!"

"Shield, shield!"

"Red bottle!"

"ELF NEEDS FOOD BADLY," the game boomed.

"Eee!"

"Cmoncmoncmoncmon just a few more setps and-"

Elle sighed in relief. Jazz cheered.

"That was close!"

" _That_ much I'm used to," Elle replied, chuckling, "seems my life's full of them."

Jazz paused the game, the music quieting.

"Wanna take a break? I'm thirsty."

Elle nodded.

"Sounds good to me."

She led Jazz to the kitchen, where she rooted through the refrigerator...

"...There we go, diet soda."

Jazz herself picked a full flavor soda.

"A lot of close calls is different," she said casually.

Elle sipped.

"Honestly most of my old life was hinged on a close call, or a random chance..."

"If I hadn't gotten kidnapped, I probably wouldn't have gotten anywhere quick enough to be stabilized," she began, "I was far too weak... Not that we know that what worked isn't just a band-aid cure."

"Course, you're not in on that. I... well, I used to be genetically unstable," she explained, sitting by Jazz, "which was... a very bad thing. It meant that whenever I used my powers, I got closer to melting into ectoplasm."

Elle shuddered a moment, remembering what that felt like...

"I can imagine. Genetic defects cause a lot of disorders. I am constantly surprised that Danny doesn't have leukemia or something."

Jazz put a hand on Elle's shoulder.

"Danny... gave me something your dad put together as a ghost poison that had backfired. It... managed to reconstitute me, but I don't think it really can have fixed the underlying problem. But, I've got time, at least. Even if it didn't, I had lasted a good year or so without anything for it..."

"The future-your past-it's changing, right?"

"Well, of course," Elle replied, "everything is... My actual recollection of it is going hazy as well. I suppose it's an effect of being removed from it as it's changing."

"It'll be alright. Vlad wants you to be around, he won't let you fade away or melt."

She nodded.

"I know... he _wants_ me around. I... jeez. That's probably the thing I like most here.."

"The other didn't."

She nodded. "By the time I would've come to fruition, Dad's... obsession... would have blinded him to what he'd had, outside of that it wasn't a duplicate of Danny."

She nodded.

"His mental issues with my mother grew worse, which he took out by proxy on my brother and then you. Transference can be hard to deal with."

Elle nodded.

"He's not headed there, now. not anymore. I... and Joan... have given him something more constructive."

She grinned.  
"All he really wanted was a family, really... but he needed a bit of cold water to recognize one around him."

Jazz sighed.

"I'm glad. To be honest, that is good for my family, Danny particularly."

She nodded.

"Yeah. My only downside is I won't get to meet one of my couple friends, but... I get the feeling somehow or other things with her'll work out in the end."

"Her?" Jazz blinked. "Well, you never know."

"Yeah, it's... a long story. She started out hired by Dad, but being told to bring a little girl in got her thinking."

Elle shrugged, "what's odd is, I don't think she was much older than Danny..."

"I think I know who you're talking about..." Jazz told her.

"Oh?" Elle asked, "you know her?"

"Sort of... she is getting better at hunting, though."

Jazz shuddered.

"Well... worse to worse, we should be able to handle things with her. Hopefully."

"Yeah..." Jazz wore a dubious look.

"Jazz... What do you think about all this? I mean, _really_?" Elle asked curiously.

"I'm not sure what to think yet. I don't really know Vlad or you yet, but I'm going to try."

Jazz sighed.

"I want to, though."

"Thank you for that," Elle said, smiling, "it's good to have someone for this kind of stuff..."

"It's what I do, little cousin," Jazz replied smiling back.

Elle hugged her, "I could get used to that... cousin."

Jazz hugged her back. This was not what she expected, but this... this was better.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dani Phantom: Life Finds A Way

Cameras flashing. A cacophony of voices. A simple room, really; but what it would do was not so simple. The wood of the podium, the squeaking of chairs. This was familiar to Vlad, the press release. It was a crowd unlike Elle had ever been in. She did her best to seem at ease in it all. She wore a formal dark blue dress. Her mother, sitting by her in a matching purple dress, patted her on the back.

"Just smile, dear," she said softly.

"This will be simple, but remember what we have practiced and everything will be fine," Vlad assured her.

She nodded.

"Yeah, I know, Dad," she replied, "I can handle it."

She nervously brushed a bit of stray hair from her face. Vlad checked his reflection, fussing with his tie and suit. He sighed, not touching his face. Some make up had been used on them all, but he was a picture of confidence as he walked onto the stage. A man hired for such a thing quieted the gaggle of reporters and Vlad stood before the podium. Joan and Elle followed, with dignity and similar looks of confidence, more evident on Joan than Elle.

"Quiet among the press corps!" called the publicist.

Vlad cleared his throat.

"Hello and welcome. I have called this press conference to straighten out facts and believe me: my legal team will be monitoring the newspapers."

His smile was pleasant enough.

"As you know, I have made sure to keep my private life very much so indeed from those of your profession," he began cheerily.

It prompted a few laughs. Infamously private, in fact.

"Unfortunately for me, it looks like my privacy was breached and a picture taken that has prompted much rumor-mongering... I introduce to you now, for truth's sake, two very unique individuals: Joan and Elle Lennox, mother and daughter. I met Ms. Lennox during my years in the hospital. We hit it off but lost contact for a time, only to find each other later. I will allow Miss Lennox to speak for herself and Elle from there."

Joan stepped to the mic.

"...When I first met Vlad Masters, I had recently been diagnosed with a condition called neutropenia, a disorder that affects my body's ability to fight off infection. We were placed in the same room, and with little else to do, we began to know each other, and became rather close friends... However... when I was well, we soon lost touch... we met again years later, at a Packers game. It was as if not a day had passed... We had a romance... and my daughter was conceived... but he seemed married to his work. We agreed to part ways, and I kept her existence from him, as not to sully his name."

There was collective murmuring from the press corps.

"Please hold your questions until the end," barked the publicist.

"Go on, Joan," Vlad encouraged.

She nodded, before continuing, "I have been raising her alone for the years between... but, as of recently... we've fallen on hard times, thanks to the demanding costs of my treatments..."

She nodded, before continuing, "I have been raising her alone for the years between... but, as of recently... we've fallen on hard times, thanks to the demanding costs of my treatments... And when I fell... rather ill last week... my daughter took it upon herself to contact her father."

She nodded to Elle, who took the mic, and adjusted it slightly to her relative height.

"I knew who my father was, yes... My mother told me growing up, to remember that, in case anything were to happen to her, I was to go to him. My mother fell rather deliriously ill last week. We didn't quite have the money for the doctors, so I called my father. He has been... a life-saver, possibly quite literally to my mother. And he's invited us to live with him."

Vlad nodded to the publicist.

"We will now take questions."

The hubbub of voices rose before the publicist picked a reporter.

"Miss Masters, what is your thoughts on your father?" asked a reporter.

"My father," Elle began, "is a good man. He's been absent in my life only because my mother cared so much about his name. And he has been very supportive now, in our time of hardship. I... guess I'd call this whole thing a blessing in disguise. I'd always been curious about my father, and, well, it took this to get me to him."

"Miss Masters, how old are you and when is your birthday?" Came the next question.

"I'm twelve, going on thirteen, and my birthday is June 17."

"Ms. Lennox, how do you feel about meeting up with Mr. Masters?"

"...I honestly couldn't be happier," she said, "we... well. We've both grown a lot while we were apart, but... it's only helped us."

She gave Vlad a small knowing glance, before continuing,

"And who knows what the future may bring?"

The questions didn't hold any surprises nor were they difficult, though it did last another twenty minutes. Elle and Joan remained patient and cheery throughout... and if anyone looked very close, they may have noticed Joan holding Vlad's hand through some of it.

Vlad placed an arm around her.

"That is all the questions we will answer. Thank you and good night."

He led them off stage and sighed.

"Vultures, all."

"Well, at least we've set the record straight, dear," Joan said, "no more dodging around things."

He nodded. "'Let's go home. Elle needs her testing."

She nodded.

"Indeed," she replied, "and then we can figure out what to do about the results..."

They arrived home with little incident.

Vlad sighed.

"That went almost too well."

Elle shrugged.

"Some things are easy, some aren't... consider that a warm-up to what we're about to do."

"Of course... first, I will need to bring you down to the lab for tests, Elle."

He stretched, his back giving a dull _pop_.

"Then dinner and bed."

She nodded, "how are you planning on testing me? I mean... before it took overexertion to aggravate my condition..."

"A small sample will be taken and various readings will show if you are showing any instability now we are not yet aware of," he told her, "The readings will tell us where you are now in power, the sample how much time we have."

"I see," she said, "well, shall we?"

She went ghost.

He too went ghost and flew to the lab. He brought out a number of tools.

"Most will do nothing, but one will shock you and one... will make you feel... very secure, if not euphoric."

She took a seat on a lab examination table.

"Okay," she said, "what's best position for this, then?"

"Just as you are," he told her.

"Okay, then," she said, "go on."

She waited for him to begin the procedure.

He used a number of various implements that didn't seem to do anything. One had two lights that dwindled to one a certain distance from her body.

One shocked her, causing her ghost sense to go off. The last one, as he'd said... was euphoric. Things seemed to just... not be as much anymore. She felt mildly light-headed.

She giggled slightly at the last one...

"That feels funny..." she commented.

"Mhm."

He brought out a small test tube.

"Please fill this with ectoplasm and we will be done," he told her.

"Okey-dokey, Daddy~" she said back, still rather high from the sensation, and she focused, turning an ecto-blast to matter, filling the tube.

"There we go~" she tittered.

He took it, smiling at her exuberence.

"Very good."

She rather without warning hugged him.

"I love you, Daddy..."

"I too, Elle," he replied, smiling.

Her grin mellowed a bit, seeming to slowly be coming back to her regular mental state.

"...that was... odd."

He placed the test tube in the machine.

"It will take a few hours to analyze, so shall we go to dinner? I cannot wait to see Joan's reaction to chicken marsala," he spoke delightedly.

"That sounds good, Dad," she said, letting go, "if you two can manage five minutes in your own home without going all lovebirds like last night."

She grinned wryly.

He flushed.

"I have had women since the eighties, but none were interested in more than my prestige or money..." he murmured, looking away from her.

"...Aww, I'm just teasing you, Dad..."

"It's alright. I can be foolish, as you probably well know," he replied, smiling mildly.

"Yeah... it's still going, slowly, but I know."

He embraced her close.

"You will be glad to know that your harmonics are mostly good, though your power frequency is a bit lower than I would like."

"What I'm really curious about is how long until the stuff inside's gone," she said, "Though I suppose I'll retain an inkling, otherwise a lot of what we've done would seem rather nonsensical..."

He nodded. "I think that this... poison you spoke of raised your frequency. Low enough, ectoplasm decays. Harmonics can act as a buffer, slowing down the decay rate. It was likely excellent harmonics that enabled you to last longer in the first place."

"Huh... Interesting. So whatever Danny gave me, it increased my frequency, then?"

"Indeed. Ghosts can change their frequencies through different measures, resting, eating, absorbing ectoplasm and other such."

"Those were very good indeed... but if so..."

"...but what?"

"You... I have a hunch. We do not do any of those things in ghost form," he began, "What we eat in human form, resting, is not compatible with what our ghost body needs."

He caused the light circle to appear.

"Does this remind you of anything?"

"...It's energy, right?" she guessed.

"Correct. When we change form, our bodies are converted from true solid mass to ectoplasmic mass. My guess..." He landed in front of the dining room hall; "is that your body does not do that conversion efficiently enough. You are starving for energy, which may be why you eat so much."

"...and it explains why my condition worsened so much on the run," Elle realized, "when I was on the run, any food wasn't a dependable thing, much less enough..."

"It makes sense to me."

"When Jasmine wishes to go home, we will contact Daniel and bring him to us. His sister will prevail on him to help."

She landed by him. "...would it help if I ate in ghost-mode?"

He thought a moment.

"Perhaps."

"One other way would be to absorb another ghost, but that would affect the personality," he commented. "and such changes I would not allow in myself. I don't think you would want such a thing, either."

"...yeah, I like being me," she said to his other proposal, "I don't wanna lose any of me. Being someone you're not is no fun."

She spoke from experience... trying to live to his expectations in the past future was... draining.

Oblivious, he shifted to his human form.

"Shall we?"

She nodded, before realizing...

"No one else is in there aside from Joan, correct?" she asked, making sure it was okay to go in ghost.

"And Jazz, of course," he reminded her.

"Right, right."

The chicken smelled great, if vaguely of alcohol. It was served with pasta and a salad. Milk was in the children's glasses, white wine in Vlad and Joan's glasses.

"This looks really nice..." Jazz commented.

"A fine choice, for my first meal," Joan commented.

Joan and Elle rather politely waited for Vlad to take a seat before eating.

Vlad sat at the head.

"Ah, this does indeed smell divine," he replied, smirking.

Joan cut into her chicken, and took a bite...

"Mmmm, it's _delicious_ ," she said, "taste is... beyond what I dreamed."

He smirked as he began eating himself, watching her.

"Mhmm..."

Elle ate, making an effort not to eat at her usual pace, as Joan sipped the wine.

"So, Jazz, how was your day?" Elle asked.

"I spent time reading. I didn't check any of my emails or things like that, Tucker could probably track the IP," she answered. "So I found a library. Did you know that Zelda Fitzgerald was committed to an insane asylum at one point?"

"No. It'd probably help if I knew who Zelda Fitzgerald was..."

"The wife of a great novelist, Scott Fitzgerald and a wild woman." Vlad informed.

"Ah," Elle replied, "thank you, Dad..."

Joan ate her food at a rather slow pace... she was savoring it... Each bite was just slightly different...

"...So, then, everything went okay, I assume?" Joan asked Vlad about the tests.

She nodded.

"I see..." She continued eating.

"...I... heh. These sensations are all very... wonderful."

He smiled.

"You will experience much more, I promise you," he said, chuckling.

"That's the plan, for me, then, hmm?" she mused. "Slowly bring me more and more to full human functionality... Culminating in her birth, I suppose?"

Jazz coughed.

"Beg pardon?"

"...Vlad's plan for how Elle will be born now, in this timeline... is me. I will carry her, to term," she explained.

"...what?" Elle said rather surprisedly.

"...he didn't tell you...?"

"Actually, it hadn't... come up, yet..." Vlad explained, flushed.

"...sorry, dear," she apologized for his embarassment.

"Quite alright..."

He smiled.

"...Well. This should be quite interesting for all of us," Elle said rather wryly, finishing her plate.

"...I could probably write a thesis on this," Jazz mused.

"I think not," Vlad interrupted.

Elle chuckled.

"We probably are thesis material... but I'd say if anything, fictionalize it and you might have a good novel."

Vlad choked.

"I would fare badly, I would think."

Elle wiggled her hand in midair.

"Eh. You wouldn't be a role model, but, I think you'd come off as sympathetic on the whole... Me, I'd probably be called an anti-feminist character, being derivative and weaker from a guy."

Joan laughed.

"And I'd likely be called a stock character type."

Jazz chuckled.

"I'm not the novel-writing type, thankfully."

At this point, Elle had already finished her plate. She yawned.

"I think I'm gonna turn in," she said.

Jazz put down a fork and sighed.

"Me, too. I like to turn in early."

Vlad smiled faintly.

"Very well, then ladies."

Elle headed out of the room... Joan was still finishing up her meal. Her pace was deliberate, this was something new, and she wanted it to last... not unlike her status with Vlad.

Jazz, too, followed out the door, knowing the two would need alone time.

alone time. Joan sipped her wine...

"So, dear... I do hope you're enjoying all this as I am."

She referred, of course, to their being a family now...

"It is certainly not hard to."

He got up and moved behind her, placing his hands on her shoulders.

She ate her last bite, as she felt his hands on her shoulders... she was still in the dress from earlier. She looked up at him.

"It's almost strange to think one person has changed our lives so much..."

"Mmhmm..." He began massaging her shoulders.

"Change is certainly a constant in any life."

She nodded.

"...have I been... satisfactory, in fulfilling my purpose?" she asked, looking up at him a bit more shyly.

"Of course, Joan."

Vlad bent forward.

"You haven't even begun to... _fulfill your function_."

She turned, planting a kiss on his cheek.

"Well, perhaps later we can... rectify that..."

"Mmhmm..."

He brushed her hair behind her ear.

She relaxed backwards into him...

"I... like this," she said, "it's... nice..."

For once, she lacked the words to describe the full extent of her feelings. He kissed at her neck.

"This... will be very slow and very wonderful indeed for you. I will make sure of it."

She blushed, just slightly...

"Dear... the fact it's _you_ is enough for me..."

She wore a rather contented expression...

"Perhaps... but there are some things that should be taken slow."

She smiled softly.

"Indeed... I've been waiting for this for... well... as long as I've had my awareness..."

Vlad kissed at her neck again.

"I can wait and so can you. I have waited twenty years for love. Did you suppose that I planned on raping Maddie?" He asked seriously.

"...of course not," she replied, "you may not be entirely on the level with society, but... that would be entirely beneath you."

"To be sure," h replied, frowning, but continued massaging her shoulders.

She relaxed into his hands...

"Dear, I... thank you again. For everything."

"Thank me... hmm."

"You created me. You gave me form. You gave me love. You have given me much to be thankful for..."

"You serve me well, my dear." Vlad tilted his head to her, staring for a moment. Although calm, something wild watched from behind his eyes.

"You treat me well," she replied, looking into his eyes, smiling purely... "and I love you... I... have always loved you. It was my first... indefinable... emotion... In a very real way... you could say that I loved you... before I knew what love even was."

His face seemed to crumple. He brought her to his chest.

"I made you far better than I had imagined."

"...I... thank you," she replied, holding herself to him.

His mind was very far from Wisconsin indeed at that moment.

"You... are my gift."

She raised a brow...

"What?" she said, gently.

"My gift, Joan."

She blushed slightly.

"...well... I'm not sure I'd go that far, but..."

"Bashful... please, don't be, my dear..."

He smiled, a hint of sadness on his face.

She smiled back, "You... flatter me much, dear..."

He chuckled.

"Follow me, my dear if you feel ready..."

She stood.

"To the ends of the earth, my dear..."

"This door is very far from Heaven..."

He looked almost feral, for all that he was wearing a suit worth hundreds at least.

She grinned slyly.

"So long as we cross the threshold... together."

"So be it..."

He led her away from the dining room... to someplace more private.


	7. Chapter 7

Elle yawned, pouring milk over her cereal. She was surprised to not find her father up this morning, but...she had an idea why.

Jazz yawned too.

"This is so... surreal... fruity loops in a castle."

Elle shrugged.

"Never really thought of it like that, but then... I grew up here..."

But... she'd told Vlad she was here less...

"Wow... so Vlad created you here?" Jazz asked.

"I... No. I was created in the Rockies... but..."

She tried to focus.

"...I... things are muddying... I just... It feels like I grew up here."

She shrugs.

"My memories are going... it means I'm doing my job right."

"Uhh... that's good. I honestly couldn't imagine..." Jazz told her.

"...I suppose," Elle replied, "and besides... we've backed them up."

"That's good... I guess."

She smiled sheepishly.

"It's very good...it means we have them at the ready, should we ever need them... Even when my memories of the other timeline are gone for good. That's... where it's headed, as far as I can tell. I won't remember the other timeline at all... other than perhaps that another timeline existed."

"That's... interesting."

Jazz seemed to be not quite getting it, but trying to.

"It's odd. Ever since I first interacted with Dad here... my memories've been getting less and less distinct," she explained, "the only explanation I can think of... is I'm slowly changing with the timeline. People, concepts, they stay, but the events are getting fuzzier."

Jazz nodded.

"I think too, that you may want to forget."

"...Maybe," she admitted, "I... a lot of what happened... were things that... shattered me at the time. Things I didn't want to happen."

Jazz nodded again. This was more her territory.

"Dad rejecting me... Finding out it was all a sham... Dad trying to kill me... That. It... wasn't a pretty life."

"I see."

Jazz took a bite of cereal gone soggy but didn't mind.

Elle sighed, finishing her cereal...

"It's... Yeah, some of it's worth losing, but it's like... my identity's changing."

"It's always difficult. When things change in our lives, we react many different ways. If we're grieving, or otherwise. Denial, anger, bargaining, acceptance... these are very real coping stages. Though one may not follow the other."

She nodded.

"Yeah... I just hope someone I met in all of it doesn't end up out of my life..."

She shuddered at the thought of forgetting one of the few people who had cared about her.

"It may be that this person may play a different part in your life, one less central, but who knows," Jazz told her.

She nodded.

"And if we don't meet... well... at least I won't remember it, in time. No... pain."

"You never know... but perhaps your emotions will," Jazz pointed out.

She shrugged, "I guess I'll see about that later, then... I wonder if I should wake Dad up. He said the results of the tests on me would be ready this morning..."

Vlad walked into the dining room, a small device in his hands he frowned at.

"Sometimes, I dislike a proven theory."

"Morning, Dad... what's the news?" she said, not very encouraged by his comment.

"I have... two weeks at least to figure this out, two months at the most," he replied, frustrated, "Half right is classic Jack..."

Jazz made a face but kept silent.

"...I say we take this to the quickest place, then. We're going to have to talk with... and probably lie to... Danny."

"Actually... a half truth will suffice."

She raised a brow.

"What was the story you had in mind?"

"I need his for comparison, to help understand the difference between his DNA and mine. That is all."

"Dad, I... I don't think he'll help you on that alone. We need the urgency. Take me with you. We can tell him what'll happen if he doesn't... and he'll do it then."

I'm sure he'd help, given the consequences..."

"Of course, Daniel always wants to do good, but would he believe us?" Vlad pointed out.

"I... Have a feeling he would, if we can do it right."

He sighed.

"If you suppose, but I have a way to bring him to _us_."

Jazz made a face.

"...Dad... what's _your_ plan?"

"Daniel has a reason to come here... that reason is Jazz."

He gestured to the redheaded teen.

"Unless you wish to stay..."

"I'm _not_ prepared to be used against my brother, Mr. Masters," Jazz spoke.

"Very well then. I suppose that we need to bring Elle to Amity Park. If you are not ready to leave, you can keep Joan company."

"...Heh. This is gonna be fun... I think I have an idea of how much to let on to Danny," Elle said, her cogs already turning.

He grinned.

"We need not say how far into the future you come..."

"Exactly. We can let him infer what he will from that."

He grinned.

"Perfect, then it is settled. Lovely. I will need to pack instruments to take..."

She nodded. "And there is the matter of public cover, if we're flying commercial again."

"I have not been just inventing things and ordering dinners, you know."

He pulled out a small billfold and out of that, two cards. "Social security card and short form birth certificate."

"Very nice," she said, "great."

"Would you like to see?" He asked casually.

"...Sure," she replied.

He handed them to her. _Elle Blair Masters_ they both read.

The birth certificate listed Joan Lennox and Vlad Masters as parents.

She turned them over in her hand, looking them over... She'd never had any records she existed before, and this was... something new. She liked it.

"...Very nice," she said, composedly.

"You now legally exist, my dear. You are mine..." He bent and whispered, "Would you like to help me pick out something special for Joan...? In a _ring_ department...?"

She was without words a moment...

"Of course. I'd be glad, Dad."

She beamed at him. Jazz gave them a look, but smiled as she drank a glass of orange juice.

"...what's Mom up to, anyway? Running numbers in the lab?"

"Hmm... I am not entirely sure..." he replied, shifting on his feet, looking distracted. "She is asleep, or rather standby mode."

"...She sleeps? Didn't guess that," Elle mused.

At that point, they were interrupted by Joan walking into the room, in a light purple dressing gown.

"Good morning, everyone."

"Good morning, Ms. Lennox," Jazz spoke.

"Morning, my dear." Vlad said in near echo.

"Morning, Mom," Elle greeted her, "I presume you slept well..."

Joan nodded.

"Yes... it's a new experience, all of it, but quite pleasant..."

Vlad wore a strangely cautious expression.

Joan shot him a small smirk, before continuing,

"So, what are the plans for today, hmm?"

"I will bring Elle to Amity Park and leave Jazz with you for company... I will need something from Daniel," he told her. He also had something else he needed to do, personally.

She nodded.

"Anything you need maintained or prepared for your return later, then? And if you're going commercial, shall I book your tickets?"

"Book the tickets and... prepare the Mad-OS shell at the Rockies location. Streamlined mode."

She nodded.

"I'll be right on it," she commented, and indeed, in the back of her mind she was already handling things.

"Also, transfer the Dani data to that location and begin analysis. We will need to find what, specifically, is missing..."

"Transfers commencing, dear," she confirmed.

"..and then prepare manufacture of a stop gap effort. Enough to last roughly twelve years."

She nodded.

"I understand."

Jazz looked surprised.

"What is all that about?"

"Stabilizing the time loop," Joan explained, "for this to all stick... twelve years from her birth, Elle must be sent back, in the condition she was in when she arrived. If she never comes back, the timeline never changes."

"I see..." Jazz murmured, "Setting up correct parameters for a Schrödinger's Cat type thing..."

"...something like that, sure." Vlad shrugged.

"More like that movie where the guy sends his father back in time and his father conceives him," Elle said, "He knew to send his father because he knew that was who he sent from his mother."

"Ah yes, science fiction can be very useful." Vlad nodded.

"Your tickets are booked, dear," Joan interjected, "the flight leaves in approximately 2 hours."

"Good. That gives us time to prepare and the element of surprise," he commented, "Catching Daniel off balance will be helpful."

He chuckled.

"This will be interesting..."

"Yeah," Elle replied, "though hopefully the good sort."

Vlad just smirked, a duplicate diving through the floorboards.

"For us, at least..."

"Well, in this instance... things line up. Changing the timeline as I am... is in his interest as well," Elle said, "Or at least neutral."

Vlad scoffed, but in a good natured way.

"This... will be something to see..."

"Hey, you've worked together for a mutual good before. Heck, you even leveraged Valerie into it, there, from what you told me."

"The Pariah Dark incident... that was a very profitable endeavor."

He wore a satisfied look on his face. Quite well, in fact.

"Oh, do keep an eye on those, if you would, Joan."

"Of course, dear. I believe you two should be packing, if you wish to make it through security on time... and easy with what you keep on you."

"Elle, if you please." Vlad replied as he sent out another duplicate, "The cook will take your dishes... Jazz."

"I'll be thinking of you while you're away, dear... I'd come with you, if I stood a chance against security."

He smiled in obvious pleasure.

"I hope to improve on that..."

"Oh? How so?"

"Oh, shielding on your computer core and a very localized EMP," he spoke casually.

Jazz squirmed inwardly. What could he possibly _want_ from her?

"...Nice, though perhaps some form of hijacking their systems would be more... subtle."

He smiled.

"The computer in a metal detector is too simple and it will work for walk through scanners that are and will become more common."

"...Hmm, perhaps you're correct."

She shrugged.

"Both courses will be considered, of course..." he spoke sheepishly.

She nodded.

"Best of luck, dear," she said, "I hope you both have a... productive time."

"I do too, for all our sakes..." he spoke, "Jazz, it looks like our talk will have to wait."

He turned on his heels and walked out to the front door. Elle was waiting... she had but one bag, herself.

Jazz looked immensely relieved...

"Ah, lovely," he spoke.

"...You don't have anything? Or are your other arms handling it?" Elle asked.

The duplicate indeed appeared and set down an overnight bag.

"Other arms. My human side is rather frail, you know."

"I... never realized," she admitted.

"I am a very sick man, Elle, have been for years, though I am currently in remission," he told her matter-of-factly.

She nodded.

"I understand... So. Are you ready for this?"

"I am, Elle."

He picked up his bag.

The two left, the wait at the terminal passed quickly... Elle, following from last time, took the window seat. The pass through security and the plane ride were unremarkable, except Vlad fussing inwardly about another ecto-acne flare-up.

"...So," she said, 'where we heading first?"

"Well, hotel or Fenton Works." He stated.

"I will need to set up the tools I smuggled."

"Well. If we arrive with bags, it'd look like we intend on staying there, so... the hotel it is."

"Good choice." Though if it had actually been one at all... "First things first and all."

The hotel was grand- four star the best for Vlad Masters, after all. As he had said, Vlad made use of the spacious suite to set up his equipment, the amount of which, there was no humanly possible way to carry on his person.

"Swank choice," Elle commented, taking a seat on a luxuriously plush couch.

It is what is proper for a man of my stature," he commented as he connected components.

"Yeah... just not what I'm used to facing on the road."

She chuckled.

"I like it."

Indeed... the road for her had usually meant not even a place to lay her head.

"You will grow accustomed to being rich-in more ways than one."

He checked his work on the portable lab and scanning device.

"You may order food, we may run into trouble later and I do not want you to start..." He trailed off.

 _Dying_ was unsaid. _Melting_ as well.

She nodded, picking up the hotel guide off the table.

"You hungry?" she asked.

"Hmm. Maybe a small bit of gouda while I prepare for Jack." He made a face.

She nodded, picking up the room phone and placing an order, a plate of chicken parmigiana for her, and a wedge of gouda for Vlad.

She drew the curtains on the window. She planned on eating in Ghost form when they had the food, and was being cautious. He tested the gadgetry, his jacket off and his shirt sleeves rolled up. He flipped a switch and a power indicator came to life. He answered the door when the food came up, tipping generously the server.

"So," she said, when the door had closed, "how's it coming along?"

She went ghost.

We are essentially ready," He told her as he went to a cabinet and pulled out a wine bottle, "Ah, just the ticket... merlot."

She began eating her food at just a tad slower than her typical pace.

"Good. After I've eaten we can pay Danny our visit, then."

He poured a glass and sipped at his glass as he ate the cheese.

"Mmhmm..." He sighed, feeling himself unwind.

"So, how much're we getting done here? Just the sampling, and saving the implementation for home?"

"Actually, the implementation can start here. I believe... it will take three weeks of treatment to correct," he told her, "Your bodies will feel like they are changing, to be sure. The shots...may hurt."

She nodded.

"Can't be worse than the experience of _melting._ "

He chuckled.

"We shall see."

He got ready, putting himself to rights, fussing with brushing and combing his hair.

She downshifted from ghost-mode, letting her hair down to decrease her resemblance with Danny.

"So, what's the cover?"

"You are a time traveler from Danny's future who met me first. You must call me uncle Vlad when we are alone with Daniel," he told her. He was unaware of his slips. She nodded.

"Seems well enough," she said, "shall we head out then?"

"Yes, we should." He finished tying back his hair and led her down, hailing a cab.

On the other hand in Wisconsin, the day was quite a bit less action-packed.

"So, Jazz," Joan said, when Elle and Vlad had left, "looks like we girls have the day to ourselves."

"Yeah... it was getting heavy with Vlad..."

"So, what do you want to do?" Joan said cheerily.

"Well, I know there is a nice massage parlor in town that Vlad visits sometimes to relieve stress..."

"Sounds like the perfect spot."

Jazz smiled.

"I'll book us an appointment there, then... and a lunch afterwards. What do you like?" she asked.

"Perhaps a nice girl-to-girl talk," Jazz mused.

"Sounds nice... But as to the food?"

"Hmm... perhaps... American style? I don't really feel adventurous."

"Hmm, perhaps then a dive from his usual, then... There is a particularly well-reviewed diner around here."

"Sounds good to me." Jazz yawned.

"Well, now. Our appointment's in about forty-five minutes, and we have Vlad's garage at our fingertips... The question is not whether to arrive in style, but _how_ to arrive in style."

"Can I drive a Maserati? I know how to use a stick..." Jazz grinned.

"I believe he has a few of those, yes," she said, "Let me show you."

Jazz let out a squeak of excited disbelief. A _Maserati_...!

Joan led her to Vlad's garage... it was rather large. Lined in a row by several Ferarris, were several Maseratis- a '57 200SI, a 59 5000 GT Coupe, a 62 Sebring, current model GranTurismo, Quattroporte, and GranCabrio, and the rare MC12.

"Ah, the MC12. It's rather rare," Joan explained, "only 55 exist."

Jazz took a moment to consider. "Maybe one less rare..."

It was a white car, rather sharp-nosed, with a number of sleek curves. Jazz's eyes drifted down the line of cars...

"Is that a gold-plated DeLorean...?"

"Yes. Only three were manufactured, though a hundred were planned."

"...the Maserati it is!"

"Very well then..." She approached a small pipe not unlike a bank drive-through line tube transport, and keyed in two codes. Shortly, the proper keys appeared in an opening, in a plastic tube. Jazz could hardly believe it.

"I am going to drive a _Maserati_..."

"Not just a Maserati," Joan said, tossing her the keys, "an MC12. I'm sure there are many men in the middle of mid-life crises who would kill to do that."

"Owner included?" Jazz blurted.

Joan laughed, "Well, now, I think he's over that..."  
"You... think?" Jazz laughed a little nervously, but opened the car door.

"The midlife crisis," she clarified, getting into the passengers' seat, "he hasn't killed anyone, that I know of, and... well. He trusts me with everything."

"Uh... I'll take your word for it," Jazz replied, climbing into the car and shutting the door.

"I can tell you how to get there," she said, "it isn't too far into the city."

"I will drive safely, too." Jazz buckled herself in with racecar-type restraints.

"I assumed so," Joan replied, buckling in.

"You haven't seen my dad's driving, have you?" she said, grinning.

"Well, you did arrive here safely," she pointed out.

"Point taken. Just a hint. _Never_ accept a ride from my dad," Jazz replied, starting the car.

Joan nodded.

"Got it."

As usual for a cab, Elle and Vlad arrived quickly, and just a tad rattled at the driver's driving.

"Trust me, Jack's is worse," he told her, though how this was assuring, one could not tell.

"Good thing I'm with you then," she replied wryly, "so, are we sneaking in or going in the front door?"

"Front door," he told her, looking snide, if not quite happy about it.

She led the way, and rang the doorbell.

A woman with dark red hair cut short and straightened wearing a blue sweater and slacks opened the door. "Well _Vlaaad,_ isn't this a bit of a surprise... is this the girl I had heard about on the news? She looks so much like you when we were in class..."

Elle chuckled.

"Hello, Mrs. Fenton," she said politely.

"Maddie... it is good to see you. May we come in? I wanted to introduce her to you all, you know," he said, sounding just a tinge of sad.

Elle subtly held his hand... she knew this still must be hard for him, seeing her.

"Well, come in you two... would you like a cookie?" Maddie asked Elle sweetly in a mild Midwestern accent. Elle nodded.

"That'd be nice," she said cheerily.

Maddie led them in.

"Jaack, look who came to visit!"

A head poked from the door of the lab, seeming a bit focused at first, before lighting up a bit.

"Vladdy!"

He approached them... He looked mildly disheveled, as if he'd been working hard.

Vlad scowled a moment before lightening up with effort. "Jack."

"You look like... two nights with Pac-Man."

"Been working hard... Our daughter's been kidnapped by ghosts," he said, his face in a rare somber expression, before lighting up again, "but I'll be ready for them next time!"

"I'm sure, Jack, I'm sure." Vlad lied through his teeth, patting the large man's back.

"So, I hear you've been busy, too, Vladdy," Jack said, "introducing the girl there to the world. How long've you known?"

"I don't understand it, her car is gone, too. Where could she..." Maddie didn't finish.

"This is my daughter Elle, whom... I only have known a week," he told them.

"Nice to meet ya, Elle," Jack greeted, "any kid of Vladdy's welcome here."

"Let me go get you some cookies and milk, sweetie." Maddie smiled, though it didn't touch her eyes.

The woman wandered to the kitchen, gathering the promised treat.

"How... has Daniel been fairing?" Vlad enquired.

"...Not well, since Jazz disappeared," Jack admitted, "he's been quiet and he won't talk."

Vlad looked sympathetic.

"Teenagers often take the weight of things likely not their fault."

He crossed his arms. Maddie reentered with the plate of cookies. Elle took a cookie.

"Thank you, Mrs. Fenton."

"It is hard, but everyone has growing pains...",

Danny arrived home, surprised to find the scene in his living room...

"...Vlad? What're _you_ doing here?" he said, surprised and just mildly suspicious.

Vlad heard the door, but pretended that he hadn't.

"Ah, Daniel. A pleasure here as well," he spoke dryly with a smile, "Say, how is Miss Gray doing, hmmm?"

"...fine, last I checked," he said, before noticing Elle. He looked closer, recognizing the medallion... his eyes widened a bit.

"...and who's she?"

"Oh, the future will tell... but her name is Elle," Vlad spoke casually.

Maddie smiled at the girl.

"There is no denying who is your father..." she told Elle, "I hear your mother is sick..."

Danny raised a brow, taking a seat...

"Yeah," Elle said, "she's okay now, but she's got an immune disorder...Airports are havoc on it, so she stayed home."

Vlad kept a discrete eye on Danny while the adults and Elle exchanged conversation and a few lies.

He stood up, stretching.

"Well, my dear, it has been so nice... it won't be for a long while before I visit again." He patted Jack's back. He then grasped Maddie's hands, the woman none too happy about the contact. Elle stood up, shooting Danny a bit of a mutual "puh-leese" grin about her father.

"Maddie... I bid you goodbye..."

He kissed her knuckles.

"Ah, Daniel... The Helena, fifth floor, east suite.""

"...I'll keep it in mind," he said quietly.

He let go and took Elle's hand.

"Shall we go?"

"Yes, let's," she said, smiling. "Goodbye, Mr. and Mrs. Fenton, Danny."

"Seeya, Vladdy, Elle~" Jack said, "keep in touch."

"Well, ta. If I hear from Jazz, I will inform you and the police."

He waved.

Danny headed upstairs... and when he was out of sight, he left.

"She is a pretty little girl..." Maddie commented. "Seemed familiar..."

Vlad was in ghost form in the hotel room, waiting for the teen hybrid. His arms were crossed, his face impatient. Even in ghost form, her scent seemed to linger on his hands. Danny arrived quickly.

"So. Plasmius. What's the deal? Who's the girl, _really?_ "

Elle was right there with her father, in ghost mode.

"What does it _look_ like?" she shot at him.

"Hm, well, family reunions are so... _touching_."

Vlad smirked.

"Danny... I'm a time-traveler. I'm stuck here in this time, but... there's complications with my health. Vlad can help, but... we need to be able to examine you. A _healthy_ halfa, in around the same phase of life. If... If we can't... I... well. Within two weeks to two months, I die," she said, somberly. Plasmius made a face at the term, but let it go.

"Hmm, what shall it be, Daniel?"

Danny looked surprised, and conflicted...

"So. I help you or someone dies. Somehow, this seems familiar."

Plasmius tapped his wrist.

"Tick tock, Daniel. She nor I have much time."

Danny sighed...

"Fine. I have a feeling I'm going to regret this... but I can't let someone die over this... Not on top of Jazz disappearing..."

Just a tad of guilt tinged Elle's face, she knew she couldn't tell Danny about Jazz's whereabouts, but it felt wrong... Vlad wore a serious look.

"It is all a matter of _time_ , Daniel. I hear it would not be your first flirtation with such a thing. Ahh, bravo, Daniel."

Danny approached him.

"What, exactly, is the complication?"

"Her midmorph DNA is deformed... her bodies fight one another without it... like an autoimmune disorder," he explained, "her ghost half, in its dying throes, is stealing from her human half."

"Eeesh, that's heavy... Lemme guess... It's because only one parent had the genes to make it work, right?" he said.

"It is uncertain. It may just be... an accident of nature, although... it is about a fifteen percent chance..."

"Fine. Whatever... And I'll be back about this if I ever have a kid, I'm sure..."

Vlad smiled dimly.

"Wait for eighteen, young man," he spoke with a small leer, "come, I will show what I need from you..."

Danny approached Vlad, still just a tad suspicious. There was a largish metal contraption with room to stand in for Danny-barely-in the room, which Vlad stood by.

"...so what's that thing going to do?" Danny asked, standing near its opening.

"This machine will track various details of your transformation. I need the midmorph DNA, which is tricky to catch."

He nodded, "I see... Well, then."

He stepped in. "Tell me when to go."

"It shall scan you very, very deeply." Vlad clarified.  
"...Will it hurt?" he asked.

"It may feel uncomfortable..." Vlad flipped a switch. "Any time, Daniel."

Danny reverted from ghost mode to human mode... it did feel a tad odd, a pulsating pressure...

Vlad watched the display, growling in his throat.

"Again, please... fourty percent capture."

He nodded, shifting back to ghost mode. Elle had her fingers crossed, with her luck, a little extra could never hurt.

"...eighty percent."

Danny reverted once more.

"Perfect." Vlad clapped. "Was that so hard, Daniel?"

Danny exited the machine.

Danny exited the machine, giving Vlad a bit of a wry look.

"So, given by the fact you have her a poser mother and announced her on the news, she's stranded?" Danny supposed.

"Something of the sort," Vlad explained, "Her timeline no longer exists. My misfortune will be your fortune, Little Badger. You win."

"...I see. Well... Good luck. And, uh, Elle, was it? Drop on by if the old man gets out of line." He shot Vlad a bit of a grin.

Vlad almost seemed disappointed in Danny's disinterest. "I would most certainly not. Do you understand what I just told you?"

"Yeah. But, you know what they say about old habits, Vlad... Forgive me if I'm somewhat skeptic about it lasting."

Vlad scoffed.

"My dear boy, think. When have I ever lied to you?"

He looked Daniel in the eyes. "Can you tell me that you are honest with your parents as I am with you? Oh, that's right. They would dissect you and have threatened as much to your face."

"...It's not just that, Vlad, and you know it. Superhero 101, keep it a secret from your family, and you don't have to worry about your enemies getting to you through them. They don't know anything, your enemies don't know anything, no reason for anyone to realize anything."

Vlad placed a hand on Elle's shoulder.

"Too bad it happens anyway. If in a way you could not foresee..."

"Hm. I'm going to head home before Mom and Dad get worried. Good luck, both of you..."

He went ghost, and left them.

Vlad reached around, using an alternate switch to turn the scanner off.

"Foolish boy..."

"...So. What was with you at the Fentons'? Always thought you a one-woman man, Dad," Elle said, a bit of sting in her voice.

He almost seemed to crumple.

"I... was saying goodbye, Danielle. To a very large part of my heart... for your sake. And Joan's."

She paused, looking with just a bit of sympathy at him.

"...I... I'm sorry," she said, "I... know that that must've hurt, Dad, but... it's all for the better. I promise."

He shook his head.

"I think... I shall retire early."

He reverted to human, looking still proud.

She approached him, and hugged him tightly...

"Okay, then... Good night, Dad."


	8. Chapter 8

Jazz was indeed a responsible driver, the ride to the diner uneventful, but exciting for the teenager.

"You do drive well," Joan commented.

"My mother taught me," Jazz replied, grinning.

"Well, she did it well." Joan unbuckled and opened the door.

"Shall we?"

Jazz followed suit and made sure to shut and lock her door.

They were greeted by the typical sort of diner waitress- a young woman with a slight accent.

"So, y'all want a booth or a table?"

Jazz took in the smells, finding herself hungry.

"Booth."

The woman seated them, and handed them menus.

"I'll be back in a moment for your drink orders."

Jazz opened her menu.

"Your first time, right?" she asked Joan.

Joan nodded.

"Yes... My first time with this sort of food. I'll probably just get what you do."

Jazz looked over the menu.

"We should probably start with drinks... I like Dr. Pepper... and likely an sampler tray, so you can try a bunch of things out."

"Sounds good," Joan replied, "they do have a nice appetizer sampler... "

Jazz smiled. This was going to be fun.

The waitress returned, and took their drink orders.

"So, Jasmine," Joan asked, "what _are_ your long-term plans about your family...? I'd imagine they're worried sick about you."

She _knew_ Maddie would be, at least. She knew Maddie well, after all, being patterned off her.

"Ah, well... I will go home, but only when I feel things are stable for Elle. I... can't just walk away, no matter how... ...how painful it might be. I have ethics."

She took a sip of her soda.

"After all, Elle _is_ family."

Joan nodded, taking a sip herself...

"Indeed... though if I had less compassion in me, I'd probably say something about the needs of the many and the needs of the one..."

Jazz looked distinctly uncomfortable.

"I will do what it takes and enjoy the sleep of the just," she said in irony. Her brother never seemed to sleep anymore.

"I need to live with myself, too."

Joan nodded compassionately... "I understand, dear. I myself have... done things in ways that are... unconventional, but I can live with..."

Jazz tilted her head.

"Like what, Joan?"

"...I... Well," she began, "The reason Elle... even exists, as she is... was the result of my intervention. I... Well, I could see Vlad's... unhealth The sample she turned from... if I am correct... would have, without intervention, been a perfect duplicate. I was attempting... to give him a new focus for his... fixations."

Jazz seemed stunned.

"Perfect... as in..."

Joan nodded. "A... clone. I... could not define it at the time, but... something in me told me that it would not be healthy to let that happen..."

Jazz seemed utterly stunned.

"So all this... wait, Vlad already has the clones ready?"

"No. He has... several utter failures, and several small, viable samples... Nothing that is human in any real way, yet."

Jazz mulled this over.

"These samples... are they to be the basis of the new Elle...?"

"The one I modified will be, yes... It is the only one with any real... viability. No major... defects."

"Please... for my brother's sake... Vlad is getting new DNA, right? Destroy the rest of the copies. Please."

"That is the plan. Let the new Elle.. Danielle... mature, and dispose of the defectives."

"Good... good." Jazz seemed both relieved and troubled.

"...what's wrong?" Joan asked, tilting her head, slightly.

"This whole... situation with Vlad is mind-boggling. I suspect that he might make some token goodbye on this stage of his life. He isn't young anymore and the realization of mortality does strange things to the human mind."

"...Well, he only strictly _has_ to meet with your brother, but... I would suspect he will meet with your parents as well."

At that moment, Joan quieted herself as the waitress returned for their order.

"We'll have the sampler platter," she told the waitress, who took the silence at her arrival as an urge to leave them promptly after the order was taken, and left after jotting it down.

"Good service." Jazz commented.

She shrugged.

"Though... I wouldn't worry. If anything were to... go unpleasantly... things will be taken care of. After all... there are plenty competent people to handle it."

She referred of course back to Vlad's presence in Amity Park.

"I'm assured of _that_ , at least..." Jazz massaged her forehead.

"There's aside from Elle, obviously, Daniel, your family, the young Ms. Grey..."

"Valerie? Would count on her to escalate a situation..." Jazz flinched.

"Or finish one, where ghosts are involved. She _was_ rather a help when the near-apocalypse came, after all."

Jazz nodded.

"She got better over time and that is what I worry about."

"Pity. From what I hear, if your brother would simply speak _frankly_ with her, it wouldn't be a worry."

"You don't know teenagers yet, Joan. They like secrets and sometimes... they think that someone will think less of them if others found out."

Joan weighed this...

"I suppose you're right... I... am not the best to guess people's reactions..."

"For all that we live in the Age of Reason, people are often unreasonable."

"Sad, but it's undeniable," Joan agreed, "Indeed... I had thought Vlad beyond much reason until recently... Elle has been a boon."

"No comment..." Jazz smiled sheepishly.

"...She was enough a... shock to the system, I suppose... to make him think twice on things. Someone claimnig to be your relative will do that."

Joan smirked.

Jazz laughed.

"Denial is often the first reaction..."

Joan nodded.

"...I... saw how things happened. He didn't... fully believe, until she had a nightmare... with him in the center."

"A... nightmare?" Jazz queried.

"She described it to him... It involved your brother deliberately sabotaging her efforts here."

"I understand, an animus in both meanings of the word." Jazz couldn't help but smile.

Joan nodded.

"When that happened, he realized, there was nothing that could go that deep just to fool him, that Elle was genuine."

Jazz nodded.

"The subconscious is hard to penetrate."

"From there, well... things began falling into place. We moved from his more specialized laboratory back to Wisconsin temporarily... where Elle was captured on film en-route and all of the public dealings moved forward... and you arrived, and such."

"Like so many inevitable dominoes..." Jazz murmured, "As if there was a larger hand present."

"She... did mention she was sent. The opportunity... was offered her," Joan explained, "by someone with ability to send her. Given she could solve the problem of stabilizing the time loop."

Jazz looked down at her hands.

"Someone sent a future version of my brother once... and the adult him disappeared."

She refused to speculate on how.

"Hmm... Elle mentioned the medallion is what keeps her in this timeframe. Perhaps his was destroyed, or removed?"

"It wasn't. Danny said that he... was put into a thermos." Jazz sipped at her soda more. "He was too strong and determined."

"Hmm. Well, if this other Danny was that strong and set... he would have appeared again, were he free. So it can be concluded wherever he is, it is... safekeeping. The fact Elle is still here... rules out the other possibility, of changing the timeline erasing him."

Jazz sighed.

"I don't really like to think about it, much. Now... how good are we talking about for the massage place?"

"...Well, Vlad says it can make him forget his problems for the duration... And given the size of problems _he_ deals with..."

Her lips turned up in a grin.

Jazz snorted.

"Between running his business and his personal life, even with my help, he'd be running himself ragged if he didn't stay up half the nights most nights..."

"Vlad's an insomniac? He does look the type."

The waitress arrived. "If you need anything else, let me know," she said as she dropped off their food.

"Ooh, smells good..." Jazz smiled.

Joan nodded courteously, before continuing to Jazz.

"He's... on an experimental schedule, where he sleeps an average 14 minutes a day."

"...that cannot be healthy." Jazz's mind boggled.

"New York parapsychologist tried it... when he noticed it worked to keep himself alert, he wrote a paper on it."

"I highly suggest having him take a series of 45 minute naps during the day... that kind of sleep can cause the brain to develop LSD."

"Duly noted... If that's true, that may explain why the man's firm was shut down before for massive collateral damage caused fighting a, quote unquote, 'Sumerian god in the form of an advertising mascot'."

Joan calmly picked up a slider from the platter, biting in.

"I-I beg pardon?" Jazz choked.

"His firm. They were mildly famous, before your time. Paranormal exterminators operating in New York. They claim to have fought a Sumerian god that took the form of a gigantic marshmallow man when one of them thought of it when asked to 'choose the form of their destruction'. Multiple people witnessed it. It was later declared a mass hallucination. Rather interesting really, New York was the center of a number of paranormal events in their time... Yet people are still skeptics. I suppose it's because of the city. It's New York, all sorts go unnoticed there."

"I uh, would imagine..." Her face was one of disbelief.

Joan shrugged,

"I know because of Vlad's interest... honestly, given a chance you might find the field interesting too... But enough about that."

Jazz agreed emphatically about it and chose a few morsels for herself as well.

Joan looked a bit distant a moment... "Ah, good," she said, snapping back, "just got a signal on the 3G. He's set up and safe."

Jazz sighed. Either Danny had agreed or been knocked out.

"Good." Jazz dug into her lovely comfort food.

Joan ate as well, more deliberately... She looked at the girl, she could tell there was more worry than relief in her...

She leaned over the table, putting a hand on Jazz's shoulder, giving a smile Jazz might find almost familiar...

"...Have some faith in him, Jasmine. And if not in him, in Elle..." she said, in a nurturing tone.

Jazz held the hand for a moment.

"Thank you... you seem so familiar..."

Joan chuckled.

"I should think so," she stated, not knowing that Elle and Vlad had kept her original pattern a secret...

Jazz just let it go for once, focusing on her food.

Joan finished her half of the meal, and politely wiped her face with her napkin.

"That was excellent," she commented.

"Yeah..." Jazz seemed pensive, but put forward a cheerful face.

"Jasmine... Elle wouldn't let anything happen to your brother, either," she said, calmly and warmly, "I... have faith in her, and your brother as well. No one will be hurt today..."

She looked into Jazz's eyes, smiling a rather soft, secure smile, and there was almost a connection...

"I hope you're right, Joan."

"If it'd make you feel better... I could tap in to their equipment's ghost radar and tell you where they are now."

"It's okay, I trust them." Jazz spoke with conviction.

Joan nodded, leaving bills on the table- covering the food with a generous tip.

"Let's get going... the massage parlor should help ease you up a bit."

Jazz grinned. Another ride in the rare Maserati!

Joan led the way back to the car.

"This should be fun," she said, contemplating the sensory stimulation to come- more new sensations for her.

Jazz again followed directions well...

"Huh... massage parlor..."

"We're at the right place," Joan said. It was a rather indistinct little building... It looked like a converted shopping center, with its front a long chain of windows and the main doors covered by blinds. The only real label it had was its name and hours on the door.

"It's _very_ expensive and exclusive," she explained, "but Vlad's card got us in."

Jazz found a parking spot and killed the engine. Jazz knew little about massage parlors.

"That's nice. I've never had a massage from another person."

Johnny 13 rubbing her shoulders didn't count.

"Vlad says it's like paradise," Joan said, unbuckling and leaving the car.

"Hm. We shall see."

Jazz shut her door, standing and stretching.

"I hear massage is very therapeutic."

"This should be enlightening for both of us, then" she said, "come on."

Jazz followed and went through the door.

Joan walked to the desk. The whole building was lit dimly as if by candles, and soothing classical music filled the room.

"This is nice..." Jazz murmured.

"We're friends of Vlad Masters," Joan said, "We have an appointment with Midas and Merry..."

The receptionist looked on her desk to verify this, and nodded. "Third door down the hall to your left," she said, "they're ready."

Joan nodded to the woman, and followed her directions, leading Jazz... In the room were two massage tables, and the masseuses were indeed waiting- one a rather large, handsome man, the other, a young woman. Jazz hem hawed.

"How does this work?"

"Oh, this is your first time?" the young woman said, "Well... you're going to enjoy this. First you remove your top, and then you lay on your stomack up here." She patted the massage table.

Jazz blushed. "Ahh... okay..."

Joan took that as her own cue and did as Jasmine had been instructed for the man. He nodded, and rubbed a little of the massage oil between his hands.

Jazz went quickly, a little shy.

The two began at the same time- whole hand effleurage , stroking the ladies' backs firmly and rhythmically with both their hands.

Joan relaxed quickly... the repeating stimuli were indeed, very relaxing...

Jazz found herself relaxing in spite of her early shyness. This felt very good to her.

"Joan...? And uh, Merry? Thanks..."

Joan looked to Jazz.

"Heh, it's not my money," she reminded Jazz, a bit of a grin still on her face.

"Right..." Jazz laughed.

After around ten minutes of the whole-hand effeurage, the masseueses switched to effeurage with the heel of the hand, moving each hand in circles, heel down, on its side of the back...

Jazz let herself relax more, though she tried to not fall asleep.

Jazz sighed in pleasure.

"...That was just wonderful, wasn't it...?" Joan said, contentedly.

"Yeah... I will never forget that..."

"I... actually went out for several minutes of it," she tittered, "minor input overload... Heh... But I loved it."

Jazz smiled, enjoying the calm. This... was probably something she needed.

"Jasmine?" Joan said rather plainly.

"Yes?"

"...I... I believe I'm going to miss having you around, when all this is over..."

She smiled a sort of sad smile, looking at the girl... Wondering if she felt the same sort of familiarity that she did...

"Maybe I can visit sometime... I am only just over a year shy of eighteen," Jazz said. "It seems like we have met before..."

Joan chuckled again, "I would think so..."

She still assumed Jazz knew her pattern.

"How so?" Jazz asked.

"...you mean... they didn't tell you?" Joan asked.

Jazz shook her head.

"No, they said for me to wait."

"I... Well... My original... 'pattern', as it were, as a holographic interface... Vlad created me in his idealized image of your mother..."

Jazz was quiet for several moments.

"Makes sense."

Joan nodded.

"He... realized his private work was putting himself more and more away from people... and created me for his ideal companion...In a way you could say he made me too well for the purpose... In my concern for him, I've myself hindered some of his pursuits."

Jazz nodded.

"The Asimov Endgame."

"I suppose... It never occurred to me as such, I was just being... a good companion."

She stretched, and got to her feet.

"Well... we better head out... the fifteen's getting close."

Jazz nodded.

"There was an Asimov story where there are strange things going on... robots keeping people out of the loop on urban planning... a too good to be true candidate..."

Jazz followed suit, remembering her bra.

"Hm, well, I try not to meddle any more than a friend might if they knew a friend was doing something self-destructive... An intervention, if you will..."

She led Jazz back out, and to the car.

Jazz had much to consider on the way back...

"...I... believe I understand now why people fear being thought less of if a secret is revealed," Joan said in the middle of the ride, breaking the awkward silence.

"It is kind of a silly thing to believe, you know...?" Jazz assured.

"Well, you certainly seem to have... closed more, now you know my origins..."

"Some things take time for humans to process," Jazz said, "I don't think less of _you_..."

"...Vlad was not a well man, Jasmine, I admit, but... he is healing. Elle has... stirred something in him. Since she arrived, he has been... softer. Gentler... And even... happier. More than I'd ever seen from him before."

"Maybe so. I get to be irrational at times too, you know?" Jazz smiled awkwardly, pulling into the mansion grounds.

Joan nodded. "I understand, Jasmine. Just... keep the mind open, eh?"

"Of course." Jazz cut the engine.

Joan unbuckled, and exited... She started toward the exit into the mansion... and paused. Her face went blank a moment.

"...Joan?"

She shook her head.

"They have the DNA. It... caught me off guard, sorry. I received the signal and just went to processing as usual."

Jazz nodded. "Of... of course."

"I'm sorry, I'm not used to having form to worry about... I suppose I will be used to it soon."

She led back in, and took a seat on a couch in the mansion's parlor...

"Excuse me a few moments..."

Her face went blank again... It was eerie. Her eyes seemed... vacuous, lifeless.

Jazz watched, unable to look away.

Her body moved not an inch, still as death... It remained such for an entire five minutes before she returned to it.

Jazz could comprehend such a thing logically, though emotionally-she smiled. "Welcome back."

Joan smiled lightly.

"Thank you, Jasmine," she said cordially, "now... The temporary counter agent is producing... I'm free the rest of the night."

"Let's see... have you ever played Monopoly...?"

"...I know of it, but I haven't played, no... Now I think of it, I haven't _played_ at all."

"Well, time then to indulge and laugh with your inner child!" Jazz grinned.

Meanwhile...

Danny arrived home, flying to his window and- Sirens blared.

 _...Crud._

Before he could revert to human mode, Jack burst through his door, in the partially-recreated Ecto-skeleton.

"Freeze, ghost!"

"...Sorry, can't oblige."

Danny fled.

"Hey!" Jack bellowed, "Get back here, ghost!"

Jack gave chase... following the jump from the window. He'd improved it. It wasn't exhausting him like Danny counted on keeping him from following.

 _Double-crud._

He flew, full speed away...

"...Hello, Phantom" mused a familiar voice, before Danny felt a blast to his back, knocking him from the sky...

"And goodbye."

In his haste, he'd ran straight into Valerie's ghost-patrol route.

 _...Danny Fenton, you_ are _a screw-up,_ he mentally chastised himself, managing to his feet...

This delay from Valerie gave Jack just enough time to land in a blow on Danny, sending him flying.

Back at the hotel room, one of the computers buzzed an alarm- Valerie's armor had automatically sent out signal to Vlad when she identified Danny. Vlad opened the door from his room, in pajamas, yawning.

"Butterfingers..." He muttered.

Elle herself hadn't gone to sleep quite yet, and got up to investigate the source of the noise.

"What is it, Dad?"

"Valerie's ghost-interest alert... a number of ghosts I have on alert for her fighting."

He picked up what looked to be a sort of Gameboy.

"Oh, damn it all... she is fighting Daniel."

"...Well, then," she said, "what's the plan?"

He sighed.

"No rest for the wicked... though..." he grinned, not telling her he had seen Jack.

"Come with me."

He transformed.

She nodded, transforming.

"Lead the way, Dad."

By the time Elle and Vlad arrived, Danny had taken a fair amount of beating... but he'd done his deal of damage as well. He'd managed to ground Valerie, and a good deal of her mask had torn away... Enough that what was left was mostly a formality. Jack was proving the real problem- with the power of an ecto-skeleton backing him, he and Danny were barely evenly matched. Elle looked at the scene...

"...Valerie looks weaker, and with what using my powers does... I think I'll take her," she said to Vlad, quietly.

"I will take Jack." Plasmius grinned.

Elle dove into the fray, distracting Valerie. "Hey, Grey!" she taunted, "can't hit me!" She wove and darted in the air around the girl.

Sadly, their arrival itself served as a distraction to Danny.

"...Elle? Vl-Plasmius?" Danny said, noticing their arrival, "Heh. The cavalry. I'm in luck."

As he finished the sentence, a metal fist painfully crossed his face.

"I said, _what did you_ _ **do**_ _with my_ _ **KIDS**_ _, ghost?_ "

"Not nearly as much as I will do to you, Jack!" Vlad snarled.

"...Wisconsin Ghost? Far from home, aren't you?" Jack said, turning to face the newcomer.

Vlad cracked his knuckles.

"Ah yes."

" _Get away from my husband_ , you creep!" came a voice, and when Vlad turned around, his shock was long enough for him to get blasted and hit almost at once.

"Thanks, honey," Jack said gratefully, returning his attention to Danny.

"Now, ghost-punk, we can do this easy, or hard."

"...Believe me, both are hard," Danny retorted, before delivering another slightly pulled blast to his father.

Vlad couldn't hit Maddie... and Maddie had no problem hitting him

"Dad! Fight _back_!" Elle called concernedly, herself dodging blast after blast... but that got her long enough to get herself hit.

Maddie blasted at him, but he grabbed her.

"I cannot harm you, woman!" he told her.

Valerie stood over Elle, point blank... until Elle delivered a low swinging kick, dropping Val to the ground.

Elle hovered... and had an idea. She hovered, right on a straight path to Maddie... and taunted Valerie, as immaturely as possible. Sure enough, Valerie aimed, and fired... And Elle dodged out of the way.

Vlad split himself, his clone helping attack Jack as he wrestled with Maddie, wishing he wasn't.

He saw the blast, tossing her away and taking it.

...Elle facepalmed at her father. Valerie was intrigued...

"...It almost looks like that _ghost_ is _protecting_ Mrs. Fenton... Hmmm..."

Valerie tentatively fired another blast aimed at Maddie.

Maddie was confused...

"Why?" she asked.

Plasmius put up a shield this time.

Elle took advantage of Valerie's distraction to land in a few blows.

Meanwhile, Jack finally landed a heavy blow on Danny, sending the teen hurtling through the air... on a collision course with Plasmius.

The older ghost was knocked off his feet.

"This is ridiculous!"

Valerie recovered, and saw the two at a disadvantage. She aimed and fired several blasts at the spot where the two stood.

Plasmius avoided it, though there were now holes in his cape.

"This is an utter disaster..." He muttered before his duplicate blasted at Jack.

Jack pummeled the duplicate repeatedly.

"Give it up, ghosts."

"Never, Jack, not to you!" Plasmius snarled, executing a roundhouse kick.

While Plasmius was distracted with Jack, Valerie fired away at him.  
Elle, meanwhile, was trying her best to pull her punches with Maddie.

"Help him with the Huntress!" Vlad told her. "I shall take care of Maddie!"

"You will not, ghost!" Maddie blasted at him.

Danny got back to the fray... and managed a number of blows on his father. He'd be doing much better without restraint... and if only there weren't so many people to be collateral damage, he'd have a much easier victory, using the wail, but not with so many people around.

Elle shook her head.

"No. You fighting her is just you taking a beating. You handle Valerie," she said, "I'll manage."

She kept up sparring with Maddie, throwing in the occasional low energy blast... She was beginning to feel the toll on her structure but kept on.

Vlad growled but changed to Valerie.

"Foolish child, do you realize we are holding back?"

"Pfft, yeah, right. You think I was born yesterday, ghost?"

Valerie blasted, aiming for him.

He did not pull his next punch at her. "Next to me, my dear... yes."

She dodged, his physical attack had left him in point blank range... She fired again.

He screeched; he had equipped her too well.

She grinned. Perfect. She kept firing.

The duplicate failed at Jack's next punch and Plasmius was on his knees.

Valerie aimed yet again.

"Goodbye, ghost."

She fired.

A band of light appeared at his waist... this wasn't happening...

Elle rushed to him... Worse for wear, indeed. Her instability was beginning to show... Her legs wobbled just a bit, and a little green liquid appeared at her feet as she landed...

She looked at Valerie, her face sheer determination, as she held out her hand, charging a blast.

"No," she said resolutely, "I'm _not_ going to let you hurt him. Not my _father_."

Valerie froze... in this poor girl, there was something... close. She saw, reflected in the eyes of this girl... herself. And it drove her to wonder... how many she'd hurt, fighting ghosts...

"...my God... what... what have I..."

Danny, in the middle of the battle, realized this was all happening because of one thing...

He whistled loudly.

"Hey, everyone. Take a look!"

All eyes were on the battle-worn teen dropped to human mode.

"That's right. It's me. There's no reason for us all to be fighting here..."

"...Danny? _You're_ the ghost-boy?" Jack stated in disbelief, "...why didn't you tell us?"

Valerie stared on in utter shock... On top of everything... _He_ was the ghost boy? One of the few people who'd been _remotely_ nice to her since she hit hard times?

She hugged him close.

"Oh, Danny, we wouldn't have hurt you, you're our _son_!"

"Mom... Dad... I'm sorry I didn't let you know sooner," he said, "and Valerie, I... I know this is a lot and I understand if you never wanna see me again."

"Danny, who are _they_?" Maddie asked, indicating Elle and Plasmius.

"...Friends," he said uneasily, "the Wisconsin ghost... helped me save everyone when the Ghost King was around. And... the girl's his family."

Valerie was just overwhelmed... "...I... I need to think..."

"I have a name: Plasmius. Use it."

"...Right, Plasmius. Anyways, he's... on our side."

Vlad stood up with effort.

"Elle, let us... I have nothing left to lose from the Fentons."

Maddie looked confused.

Elle supported herself on her father... "Okay..." she said, still weary. She let herself drop from ghost mode. She was still battered, still bruised... but now... recognizable. She was Elle Masters.

Vlad too, reverted to human.

"...Vladdy? You too?" Jack said, gaping.

"We need... to get home as soon as possible. Questions will wait, if Daniel explains himself, then surely, you will realize how."

...Jack nodded. "Okay, old friend... I'm sorry. About all of this. Keep safe."

Vlad wore a mutinous look, but picked up Elle in his arms and walked away, together.

Elle held to him... "...did I do good, Daddy?" she said, with just a tinge of irony in her voice.

"Yes, Elle. You did." He told her, kissing her forehead.

"Well, young man. I think you have a bit of explaining to do," Jack said, turning to Danny, "first to us... and then maybe to that young woman."

Maddie hugged him. "We still love you... but how? We didn't think it was possible."

"...Well... it's a long story," he said, "you know how the portal didn't work, at first...? I... went in. And it activated with me in it. And since then, well... this."

Maddie exchanged looks with Jack.

"Then the Protoportal...! That must've changed Vlad."

"...No wonder he didn't talk to us for so long..."

"Yeeaaaah," Danny said, a bit awkwardly, "he kinda blames you, Dad..."

"Well, maybe someday, we can fix that, but until then, young man..."

Danny winced just a bit, waiting for what she was going to pronounce on him.

"We're going to be needing to figure out a way to differentiate ghost energy signatures so our inventions don't hurt you or the other hybrids."

"...Well, then. Looks like we've got a plate of work on our hands, Mom..."

She embraced him.

"Now... if only Jazz were here..."

"...she knew, Mom. She knew everything, before I even told her."

"...What? How did she...?"

"...She didn't exactly tell me. Just that she put it together around the time I fought off Spectra."

Maddie nodded.

"It should... have been obvious."

"...It should?" Jack said cluelessly.

"Yes, Jack... Danny Fenton, Danny _Phantom_..."

Things clicked. "...oh. Now I feel like a big fat idiot..."

Somewhere, a billionaire would have cheered.

"Eh, we should get home. We can figure the rest of things out in the morning," Jack said, yawning just a bit.

"Yeeaah." Maddie agreed.

Vlad held his hands over Elle, transferring energy, sweat visible on his brow. She was, for the moment, fine... Though still weak from the fight. He still did not want to take a chance with her... not now.

"Rest, Elle. I must do something before I rest."

She nodded... She was asleep rather quickly.

Vlad watched her sleep until he was satisfied. He went to the machine and booted it up, retrieving and saving the Phantom data. He then stepped into the device after programming it for three passes...

The information from both sets of genomes were sent to Wisconsin and the Mad-OS ai.

It had been a long day for both of them... and Elle slept peacefully.


	9. Chapter 9

Elle yawned, and sat up with some effort. Her hair was still tousled, but she looked and realized her father had paid attention to her cuts...

"Good morning, Elle. Quite the sleep you had there. Good of you to finally join the living, so to speak."

"...How long've I been out, Dad?" she asked.

"Oh... a full day," he told her casually.

"...Okay... We're still at the hotel, though," she said, inventorying her surroundings, "...did you manage... to devise the treatments from the DNA?"

Vlad nodded.

"Joan and the helper ais are manufacturing as we speak."

"Good," she said, turning, and managing to her feet.

"Careful..."

She wondered momentarily how much of her weakness was the battle and how much was hunger... "We have anything to eat here?" she asked.

"Of course."

He led her to the dining room of the suite and sat her down.

"Now, excuse me while I attempt cuisine."

She cracked a smile at that, "You're cooking? This should be good."

Just he and her... and him doting. She liked this, very much...

"Ahahaha, I had to learn, neither Maddie nor Jack knew how to cook edible things."

Vlad chuckled.

"I know, I just... It's nice. Just you and me."

She smiled, a bit awkwardly, but there was a sweetness in it.

He actually was a bit better-than-competent cook, able to put together something like thick spagetti, with vegetables and such in it. The noodles didn't even stick together-much.

She focused a moment, remembering that eating in ghost mode would help her... and she dug in.

"Mmmmm, this is great, Daddy..."

"Well, I try." He smiled, serving himself up a plate.

"You heard... anything about how the rest of them are doing?" she asked, curiously, "the Fentons, and Valerie?"

"The Fentons are having very personal talks and I am not quite sure yet what Valerie plans to do." Vlad reported.

She nodded.

"Valerie... will cope. She and I were... friends, in the other timeline. She was one of the few. So, now I'm... well, up and about, I guess we head home then?"

He nodded. "There... is nothing here for us now." He seemed pensive, yet set.

"And from there to the Rockies, I'd suppose... for... Mom and myself... man, talking about another me is odd..."

"In time, in time..." Vlad spoke quietly.

She finished her meal, dropping to human form... and hugged him.

"All of this... I... It's so... thank you, Daddy..."

She was safe, she was happy, and they were together... and this made her content.

"It's alright..."

He embraced her.

"I love you, Elle."

"I love you too, Daddy... I love you too..."

For the first time in a long, long time... everything was alright, to her...

The way back home was rather uneventful after such emotionalities.

They arrived home to just a little bit of a special moment- Joan had prepared them both home-cooked meals, with a little help.

"Welcome home, both of you," Joan greeted, rather cheerily.

"Ah, it is good to be back home." Vlad grinned.

"Yeah," Elle said, "and... Jazz, I don't mean to sound rude but... I think you may be needed back at yours... Lots went down while we were there."

Jazz seemed confident.

"I'll hear all about it... but soon enough."

Elle sat down.

"So, how were things while we were away?"she asked politely.

"It went well," Jazz replied, "We had fun."

Elle ate at a rather reserved pace for once... she'd nearly died, she... was appreciating things more. Joan's meals for them consisted of good old-fashioned comfort food, eggs-in-the-basket and side of ham.

"One thing is for sure... you cook better than my parents do..." Jazz told Joan, grinning slightly.

"That isn't hard, dear." Vlad pointed out.

"I do my best," Joan replied, smiling softly, "it's nothing fancy, but... I was going for a feel more like a home."

"Well done, Joan."

Vlad nodded.

Elle chuckled at Joan's comment, and nodded.

"It's good."

She grinned earnestly.

Joan turned to Vlad, "I have the counteragent prepared when she's ready... as well as enough of the stopgap, as well as a temporary agent for during... my pregnancy."

She could still scarcely believe those words passing her lips.

"Good. Well done." Vlad seemed delighted.

"I still... Wow. I'm going to be-"

"Am," Elle corrected, "I'm here, you know."

"I'm a mother. A _mother_."

Both Vlad and Jazz wore similar smiles. Vlad's was one of self-assured pride. Jazz's was somewhat embarrassed, as if a stranger or near-as-nevermind.

Elle finished her meal...

"Well. I guess we better prepare for a ride, next... After all... No way we can manage getting Mom there on a plane."

"Not yet, anyway." Vlad stated.

"So, car trip from here to the Rockies... That's about halfway cross the country."

"It'll be a trip..."

"Jazz, I understand if you're not in for this," Elle said, turning to her, "it's a long way, and honestly, I... I think your brother could use you more than me right now."

Jazz looked down. "Yes... it's time."

"...When you get home... Tell Danny thanks for me, I never did really get the chance to say so properly... And... tell Valerie that the girl is fine, and so's her father. She'll know what it means."

"Alright... I think the morning will be a good time to leave."

Elle nodded.

"I have your address... You can expect to get letters, time to time... cousin."

Jazz grinned.

"No problem."

"Did... Dad give you the breakdown of what's going on back with your family?" she asked.

"Not much, just the basics. I shouldn't be _too_ familiar with the situation."

She nodded.

"Right, yeah... Well. Good luck helping pick up all the pieces. And we should definitely be by for Christmas," she said with a wry grin, "right Dad?"

Vlad made an extremely neutral face.

"I will consider it."

Elle laughed... "I mean.. at least then we can go by without a big brawl."

"Well... I'm gonna get to bed... Full day tomorrow and all," Elle said, "good night, everyone."

Jazz herself beat a retreat. The short stay was like a dream.

Joan walked behind Vlad...

"So... parents, us. What do you think, dear?"

She let her arms wrap around him.

"I am anxious and elated." Vlad smiled.

She let her head rest on his shoulder.

"I can't _wait,_ " she said gleefully

He ran a hand over her side. "My dear, I can assure you, the wonderment is something you will recall all your days."

"I'm sure I will..." she said, sighting lightly and leaning into him... "So, dear... What are our plans, with all this? I mean, another child out of wedlock would look... beneath you"

"Elle and I stopped off in a plaza... I sent her with money for a snack before flight... and I went to another store entirely." He seemed to smirk, but there was a soft satisfaction to it.

he smiled widely... She hadn't dreamed he'd thought about it already...

"You... already...?"

Her excitement was clear in her voice. He produced a small box.

"It can be seen in a few weeks when we make the announcement of Dani's conception is made." He opened the box. "Nevermind that I will be breaking yet another law..."

"Oh, Vlad... " she said, hugging him tightly... "This is going to be _fantastic!_ "

He chuckled.

"The question never had to be asked, did it?" He kissed her. "Now... we should celebrate this as honeymooners do... heaven knows, we may get little enough chance when I get back to my work..."

She held him close...

"Perhaps we should..."

He kissed her sweetly; this was going to be very different-he, of all men, of all ghosts... would let go of a haunting memory for her. Never again as a Maddie replacement. She melted into his arms... She searched for words, to tell him how she felt, but for once, they seemed... empty. Vlad for one, would enjoy the silence. Well, near silence.

The ride the following morning was about as much as could be expected... but they were watched, by satisfied eyes...

"The girl made a wise use of the privilege afforded her... All is as it should be...There will never be a disasteroid incident... The young Miss Gray will not become a threat to our kind... Daniel will head onward to his own destiny... and there will no longer be a homeless girl or a lost man in his shadow... It is all resolved... Everyone shall live. Life... found a way."

"There are still ways things go off roads, as I know you are perfectly aware, Master of Time," came a clear, pretty voice. In the clocktower was a young-looking ghost woman with purple hair afire, fair skin, green eyes and gentle eyes.

"There are ways, yes... but such courses would be foreshadowed... and thus far... the ends are good."

She laughed. "I can feel the wrongness in here that can smash all the progress, you forget. I do not come as devil's advocate, though. The watched one has something of mine... and his... servant has another."

"Phantom is under control... pending a humane method of... disposal."

"...which is why you brought me here. He cannot be truly disposed of... humanely. But I can make him... not dangerous," she spoke.

"Indeed," he replied, drifting to the thermos' current place, and lifting it... He could feel it shift in his hands, the Phantom was restless...

She smiled. "This is my penance, for the ring and crown enabling Pariah's rise... I made them and therefore him... and I will hamstring another not much different from him. After all... I _am_ the Mistress of Emotions."

He raised a hand... and the ways out all sealed. If things failed, he dared not leave Phantom an easy method of escape...

"Are you ready?"

Her face was grim. "I am."

He opened the thermos... and wished he had any sort of god to pray to. The creature released was not much of a man anymore, the damage on his clothes reflecting his state of mind, coincidentally. He didn't see Clockwork, he saw her and he tackled the woman, who was unresisting. "Psyche, so _good_ to see you..."

Clockwork watched on... ready to take action if need should be.

"You... know me." She sounded unsurprised with a note of boredom.

"In the biblical sense, yes... and I will know you again... and again..." He leaned in closely, licking her face. "...and again."

"Funny... I planned on doing almost the same and opposite of what you intend on doing to me... to you." She grasped his head and energy danced visibly around her hands, fingers on his temples. The face went slack and Phantom seemed to slowly collapse upon her, resting his head on her chest, like a true lover might. Psyche, after a time, pulled herself away, letting the creature roll off her to lay on the ground. She placed a hand on the not-quite a man's shoulder and his form changed, to something like a human. His fangs remained. Yet in other ways, he resembled Danny Fenton with a few touches of Vlad Masters. A homunculus of kinds, perhaps.

"He has little access to his powers, I could not seal them all away and no real memories now. His emotions will be quite changed. I hope this will satisfy the Observants for you."

He nodded...

"I can keep him... safe. Safe and away from any possible... reminders."


	10. Epilogue

Dani Phantom: Life Finds A Way

by Futuramakid and Anthiena

DISCLAIMER: We own nothing.

Twelve years later... Christmas Eve.

Elle arrived home with Dani... She knew things would be closing soon... She'd just gone out to look at the lights with her sister, as they were in the custom of doing... Jazz herself had sent a card to them, though she was with her family. The fallout had been brief, thankfully. As it should have been. Danny was now teamed up with Val, though the truce was shaky in the start There had been quite a bit of yelling between the two and somehow, maybe some kissing. Or so Jazz speculated.

Joan was waiting for them.

"Ah, girls," she said, "I have some wonderful news!"

She had a melancholy inside, but, the perfect actress, it didn't show at all.

"What's up, Mom?" Dani asked.

"Your father has finally developed a cure for your condition, Dani... He's waiting for you two down in the lab."

"That's great," Elle said, keeping a facade of happiness... "Come on, sis, we better not keep Dad waiting..."

She led her sister downstairs into the lab... holding her hand just a bit tightly.

Vlad seemed to be wearing a neutral face.

"Ah, girls. Today is the truce."

Elle nodded, "Yeah, it is... all the ghosts celebrate, together... but Mom said you had something for Dani...?"

He nodded.

"This machine will help Dani on her way."

His machine almost looked like a hairstylist's chair.

Dani looked it over... "...How's it work?" she asked, curiously.

"It will scan and replace what must be," he stated vaguely.

"Okay..." she said, "anything I need to do first, Daddy?"

Vlad had aged, of course-but not noticably until the last few weeks.

"Kiss everyone and say how much you love them, of course." He smiled.

"...Don't be silly, Daddy," she said, laughing, "it's not like I'm dying or something..." She hugged him... Elle was rather lucky she was facing the other way, for that moment, she slipped... a tear.

"Humor me please, dear." Vlad spoke. "This procedure is not without risks."

Joan arrived just after this had taken place... and she held Elle's hand, supporting the girl.

Dani nodded... and kissed him. "I love you, Daddy..."

"I love you too, daughter."

She then walked to her sister... and hugged her tighly. Elle lifted her up into the air, hugging her close. "Sis... I love you..." she told her big sister.

"...I... You've been a great sister, and I love you too," Elle told her.

When Elle let go, she approached Joan...

"...Mom... I love you..." She hugged her mother... Joan hugged her back.

"It'll be okay, sweetie... You'll be fine," Joan lied.

"You know... Dani and Elle are parts of the same name... Danielle." He spoke almost in passing.

"Now, go on," Joan encouraged her.

Dani approached Vlad again... "I'm ready."

"Yes, indeed..." Vlad still seemed neutral. He decided to pick up on her favorite story. "In a czardom far from where we stand..."

He helped her into the chair.

"...there was a great forest..." His voice cracked with suppressed emotion. "and in the middle of this forest was a great oak. Around this oak..." He turned on the machine and it powered up audibly, "...was a golden chain and at the end of the chain was a most learned cat."

Danielle went as good as unconscious in the chair... Her eyes distant, her mouth partly agape.

He stopped as the machine engaged. It ran for forty minutes... and then, in the blinking of an eye, she was gone.

"She went one way and sang songs..." He went to his knees.

Near immediately, a ghost had come for her...

His expression was sadness. "...and the other..." He sprung to his feet...

"I am here to put things as they should be..." said the figure, ominous as the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come in his hood, "the girl is ready..."

Dani was unconscious still in the seat.

He punched in commands and the Mad-OS ran it. "...told stories."

"Of course..." Vlad stated, "Of course, or none of this happens."

The figure lifted the girl, and put her through a portal...

"It is done... She is gone... that she may be with you." He looked at Elle, and nodded, before disappearing... Elle herself had already been in tears...

"...I... We'll never see her again... I mean, she's me... but... I... She's not. Not really."

A capsule began filling with fluid nearby.

Elle approached her father, and held him close...

"I... I'm sorry it all had to happen this way... that we... had to lose her..."

Vlad took her into his arms. "I know... but are you not wondering...?"

"...wondering what?" she said, confused.

Joan was first to realize.

"...the machine... that... That shouldn't have taken that long..."

"Surely, you remember the time the memory machine took to read your memories. To write is the same time... now... you didn't think I would lose what is _mine_ , did you?"

It clicked, Elle understood.

"Dad... you're a genius!" she said, hugging him, with a gleeful exuberance...

"Look. Watch..." Vlad pointed to the capsule.

Joan approached him.

"You are brilliant, dear... Simply brilliant." She pecked him on the cheek.

"Of course, of course... even an old man such as myself has turns of tactics at times..." He grinned. "Though in time... Life finds a way. It always does, my precious ones."

Elle looked at the capsule... it was... filling. There was... a mass. It was growing... rapidly... And within a couple minutes... she knew the face...

"...when... when'll she be ready?" she asked.

"A few hours. I will make sure she wakes in her bed, as if she had fallen asleep."

She nodded... "Perfect. Dad, this is... You're _wonderful_." She hugged him tightly, tears still flowing... but these, of joy.

"I know... Merry Christmas, Danielle."

"Merry Christmas, Dad..."


End file.
